Volumetric Analysis of Neckless Jars and Bottles in Early Horizon Nepeña, Peru

Summary

This contribution explores feasting practices discernible from the pottery assemblage at three Early Horizon archaeological complexes in the lower Nepeña Valley, north-central coast of Peru: Caylán (800 - 1 BCE), a large town or city interpreted as the primary center of a multi-tiered polity; Samanco (500 - 1 BCE), a small coastal town involved in production and exchange of maritime resources; and Huambacho (600 - 200 BCE), a ceremonial center associated with agricultural production. In feasting related studies, archaeologists tend to focus on qualitative issues while quantitative issues remain understudied. Questions regarding how much beer was brewed, how much stew was served, and the relative scales of food preparation within family and household contexts compared to public feasting contexts need to be addressed. This poster reviews ceramic assemblages from different compounds at Caylán, Huambacho, and Samanco, comparing vessels used for production and consumption of foods and beverages in both public and residential areas. Particular attention is given to bottles as consumption vessels and to ollas sin cuello, or neckless jars, as production vessels. Variations in the volumetric capacities of vessels between compounds within a site and between compounds at different sites enlighten on the sociopolitical importance of feasting events.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21502