Ceramics have long been the most studied material by archaeologists in the study of social complexity from various perspectives (economic, ritual, ethnic, and power). Style and technique have been two universal criteria for its analysis; however, the recent development of archeometry has greatly expanded the information that we can obtain from ceramics. In this field arises the analysis of composition of pastes, which allows to identify the minerals that make up a vessel and thus determine a possible area of ​​origin. This, in turn, reveals information about the exchange relations of goods and production inputs. This project performs compositional analysis of 16th century jugs to understand early trade routes and production areas in the colonial Andes. The data collected allows us to characterize the first dynamics of social and economic interaction between native groups and colonizers at the beginning of the viceroyalty.

Responsible:

Andrea Gonzáles 

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Contact:

agonzalesl@utec.edu.pe

Members:

Andrea Gonzáles / Sarah Kelloway