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Ecology and ceramic production in an Andean community: a reconsideration of the evidence

Faculty Advisor

Date

1997

Keywords

dry seasons, pottery, prehistoric ceramics

Abstract (summary)

D. E. Arnold has argued that contemporary ceramic production in Quinua, Ayacucho, Peru, is "an adaptation to the marginal agricultural environment in which people began to maximize the use of nonagricultural resources." On the basis of the Quinua data, Arnold has stated that during the prehistoric Middle Horizon period, ceramic production in the Ayacucho Valley may have been due to the same factor since Quinua is located near the ancient city of Wari, an area with "sufficient quantity and diversity of ceramic resources" and thus ecologically favorable for pottery making. However, the existence of present-day pottery-making communities in areas of rich agricultural resources challenges Arnold's conclusions. Similarly, archaeological evidence from the Ayacucho Valley conflicts with Arnold's ecological characterization of ceramic production in Ayacucho.

Publication Information

Valdez, Lidio M. "Ecology and Ceramic Production in an Andean Community: A Reconsideration of the Evidence." Journal of Anthropological Research 53, no. 1 (1997): 65-85.

DOI

Notes

Item Type

Article

Language

English

Rights

All Rights Reserved