Lessons From Ceramic Petrography: A Case of Technological Transfer During the Transition From Late to Inca Periods in Northwestern Argentina, Southern Andes

Pottery production during the Late Period (circa 950–1450 AD) in Northwestern Argentina (NWA) was characterized by conservative and household-based production, primarily utilizing local raw materials. During this era, potters engaged in a specific material practice involving the addition of grog (or...

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Main Authors: De La Fuente Guillermo A., Vera Sergio D., Rasmussen Kaare L., Martínez Carricondo Marina G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: De Gruyter 2025-06-01
Series:Open Archaeology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2025-0047
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author De La Fuente Guillermo A.
Vera Sergio D.
Rasmussen Kaare L.
Martínez Carricondo Marina G.
author_facet De La Fuente Guillermo A.
Vera Sergio D.
Rasmussen Kaare L.
Martínez Carricondo Marina G.
author_sort De La Fuente Guillermo A.
collection DOAJ
description Pottery production during the Late Period (circa 950–1450 AD) in Northwestern Argentina (NWA) was characterized by conservative and household-based production, primarily utilizing local raw materials. During this era, potters engaged in a specific material practice involving the addition of grog (or crushed pottery fragments) to certain ceramic vessels such as infant funerary urns and bowls. This practice was linked to a distinct animistic worldview that shaped how people perceived and connected with various materials and nature. In contrast, Inca pottery (circa 1450–1532 AD) exhibited a high degree of standardization in terms of form and size. It was produced in a centralized manner across the entire territory, mainly through the labor system known as “mita” at various geographical workshops in the Andean region. This article aims to evaluate and discuss how potters during Inca times borrowed the practice of using grog at NWA. It seems to have been a deliberate technological choice adopted by these potters, possibly influenced by practices from the Late Period potters.
format Article
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institution OA Journals
issn 2300-6560
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
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series Open Archaeology
spelling doaj-art-a3f18246b4af4ec487d66a7098cac0fc2025-08-20T02:34:16ZengDe GruyterOpen Archaeology2300-65602025-06-0111127729210.1515/opar-2025-0047Lessons From Ceramic Petrography: A Case of Technological Transfer During the Transition From Late to Inca Periods in Northwestern Argentina, Southern AndesDe La Fuente Guillermo A.0Vera Sergio D.1Rasmussen Kaare L.2Martínez Carricondo Marina G.3Laboratorio de Petrología y Conservación Cerámica, Escuela de Arqueología, Universidad Nacional de Catamarca/IRES, CONICET, Belgrano 300, 4700, Catamarca, ArgentinaLaboratorio de Petrología y Conservación Cerámica, Escuela de Arqueología, Universidad Nacional de Catamarca/IRES, CONICET, Belgrano 300, 4700, Catamarca, ArgentinaCultural Heritage and Archaeometric Research Team (CHART), Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230, Odense M, DenmarkLaboratorio de Petrología y Conservación Cerámica, Escuela de Arqueología, Universidad Nacional de Catamarca/IRES, CONICET, Belgrano 300, 4700, Catamarca, ArgentinaPottery production during the Late Period (circa 950–1450 AD) in Northwestern Argentina (NWA) was characterized by conservative and household-based production, primarily utilizing local raw materials. During this era, potters engaged in a specific material practice involving the addition of grog (or crushed pottery fragments) to certain ceramic vessels such as infant funerary urns and bowls. This practice was linked to a distinct animistic worldview that shaped how people perceived and connected with various materials and nature. In contrast, Inca pottery (circa 1450–1532 AD) exhibited a high degree of standardization in terms of form and size. It was produced in a centralized manner across the entire territory, mainly through the labor system known as “mita” at various geographical workshops in the Andean region. This article aims to evaluate and discuss how potters during Inca times borrowed the practice of using grog at NWA. It seems to have been a deliberate technological choice adopted by these potters, possibly influenced by practices from the Late Period potters.https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2025-0047ceramic technologytechnological transferceramic petrographycommunity of potterslate and inca periodsnorthwestern argentina
spellingShingle De La Fuente Guillermo A.
Vera Sergio D.
Rasmussen Kaare L.
Martínez Carricondo Marina G.
Lessons From Ceramic Petrography: A Case of Technological Transfer During the Transition From Late to Inca Periods in Northwestern Argentina, Southern Andes
Open Archaeology
ceramic technology
technological transfer
ceramic petrography
community of potters
late and inca periods
northwestern argentina
title Lessons From Ceramic Petrography: A Case of Technological Transfer During the Transition From Late to Inca Periods in Northwestern Argentina, Southern Andes
title_full Lessons From Ceramic Petrography: A Case of Technological Transfer During the Transition From Late to Inca Periods in Northwestern Argentina, Southern Andes
title_fullStr Lessons From Ceramic Petrography: A Case of Technological Transfer During the Transition From Late to Inca Periods in Northwestern Argentina, Southern Andes
title_full_unstemmed Lessons From Ceramic Petrography: A Case of Technological Transfer During the Transition From Late to Inca Periods in Northwestern Argentina, Southern Andes
title_short Lessons From Ceramic Petrography: A Case of Technological Transfer During the Transition From Late to Inca Periods in Northwestern Argentina, Southern Andes
title_sort lessons from ceramic petrography a case of technological transfer during the transition from late to inca periods in northwestern argentina southern andes
topic ceramic technology
technological transfer
ceramic petrography
community of potters
late and inca periods
northwestern argentina
url https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2025-0047
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