XRF and Raman Spectroscopic Analysis of Pigments Used in Middle Horizon Polychrome Ceramics from Cochabamba, Bolivia

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This paper presents the results of a combined XRF and Raman spectroscopic analysis of pigments used in the production of Middle Horizon ceramics from Arani, Cochabamba, Bolivia, that are currently housed at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The two central questions that this analysis investigates are (1) which of these materials were produced in the precolumbian past and which are contemporary “forgeries?” and (2) did precolumbian potters produce Tiwanaku-, Omereque-, and Mojocoya-style vessels using distinct pigment recipes? These questions are then related to broader questions regarding how styles are adopted and transformed in time and space. When and why do ceramic styles persist, disappear, and reappear in the Andes? What are the broader social and political stakes of ceramic production in the past and present? How do broadly appealing styles emerge and what role does aesthetic pleasure play in the production of both ceramics and political subjectivities?

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37433.0