Marine Species and Sea-Related Representations in Ninth- to Fourteenth-Century Casma Iconography on the North-Central Coast of Peru

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Underwater and Coastal Archaeology in Latin America" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Recent archaeological work has revealed that the north-central coastal region of Peru had been the territory of a cultural entity that we recognize today as “Casma” between the ninth and fourteenth centuries AD. Some aspects of this culture remain largely unknown and require further investigation, particularly its iconography. It appears mainly on molded ceramics, ornamented by anthropomorphic and zoomorphic motifs, as well as scenes that can also occur on painted textiles. As in other coastal cultures, this abundant iconographic repertoire includes notably representations related to the sea and the coastal environment. Various animals such as seabirds, fish (including rays), and other marine species are sometimes depicted alone, sometimes in maritime scenes like navigation and/or fishing, but also in other compositions—especially featuring a front-facing anthropomorphic character generally considered as the main Casma deity. Identifying the recurring figures, their features, and occurrences in scenes allows us to better understand the importance of sea-related representations in Casma ideology, and more broadly the interactions of this coastal culture with its environment.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)   •
• Underwater and Coastal Archaeology in Latin America

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38653.0