Did Skilled Local Potters Emulate Inka Polychrome Ceramic Style and Pottery Paste? Code Declassification Through Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA)

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Alfareros deste Inga: Pottery Production, Distribution and Exchange in the Tawantinsuyu" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Based on Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA), we tried to decode Inka polychrome ceramics from northern Chile valleys, traditionally assumed of having been introduced by the Inka State from the Lake Titicaca region (more than 500 km away). The results show that these conspicuous Inka vessels were not imported to the region, on the contrary they were made with local raw material, crafted by skilled artisans that imitated Inka iconographic style. In this context it can be suggested that the Inka officials encouraged local artisans to replicate State pottery standard as part of mit´a requirement and that these vessels were later consumed by local elites friendly with the State. Alternatively, but less likely, local potters made these vessels for local elite that were using Inka prestige goods to gain and strengthen their political power in their local communities. These results show, also, the input of archaeometry analysis and petrography to shed light on the impact of the Inka State among prehistoric polities of northern Chile.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)   •
• Alfareros deste Inga: Pottery Production, Distribution and Exchange in the Tawantinsuyu

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24600