Assessing Ceramic Occupations Within the Historic Sanctuary of Machupicchu: Application of a Multi-Proxy Approach to Understand the Technological Practices at the Archaeological Site of Isla Chico

Summary

This is an abstract from the "New Advances in Cusco Archaeology: From the Formative to the Late Horizon" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In this research, a highly representative sample of ceramics (n=80) from the archaeological site of Isla Chico at the Historic Sanctuary of Machupicchu (corresponding to pre-Hispanic pottery from the Formative, Early Intermediate, Middle Horizon, Late Intermediate and Late Horizon periods) has been characterized through stylistic analysis, macroscopic and microscopic observations (LD), petrographic studies and chemical analysis (pXRF). In fact, the ceramic sequence at Isla Chico is complete and reflects that the geography around Machu Picchu was active and fully occupied long before the Late Horizon or Inca. The analyses carried out have allowed us to obtain results with major archaeological implications, being able to highlight (i) the recognition of different traditions and technological changes in pottery throughout the periods of occupation through the establishment of technological groups and provenance, and (ii) the formal proposal that this space was part of a broad and continuous regional trade network characterized by the transfer of materials, products and information since approximately the first millennium B.C..

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• New Advances in Cusco Archaeology: From the Formative to the Late Horizon

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 50619