An Analysis of Ceramic Compositions from Canchas Uckro, Ancash, Peru: Implications for Trade in the Formative Andes

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Canchas Uckro (ca. 1100-850 BC) is a large monumental platform situated above the Puccha River approximately 25 km north of Chavín de Huántar. Recent excavations have revealed monumental features that suggest the Canchas Uckro played an important role within the political landscape. Ceramic analysis has likewise linked the site to broader economic spheres of interaction and the Amazonian ceramic styles known from other eastern highland sites, such as Kotosh. This study further assesses the potential economic relationships between Canchas Uckro and its eastern neighbors through the study of ceramic pastes and a consideration of those sherds with more Amazonian traits. 327 sherds were selected from the total assemblage for the descriptive paste analysis, which details the mineral non-plastic inclusions, clay characteristics, and superficial decorative elements. 83 sherds were further analyzed and photographed using a handheld Dino-Lite microscope. The majority of the sherds notably share a similar composition, with varying pastes comprised of principally of quartz, muscovite, feldspars and hornblende, while other ceramics feature non-local schist inclusions, indicative of distant economic ties. We tentatively argue that Canchas Uckro’s ceramic pastes further support initial hypotheses of eastern trade relationships during the Formative Period.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25264