Kevin J. Vaughn

2004 Households, Crafts and Feasting in the Ancient Andes: The
Village Context of Early Nasca Craft Consumption. Latin American
Antiquity 15(1):61-88.

Abstract

Craft consumption in Early Nasca (ca. A.D. 1-450) society is explored by
evaluating the use of polychrome pottery within the context of a residential
village. Data are presented from the Early Nasca village, Marcaya, where
excavations utilizing a household archaeology approach revealed that most
polychromes were consumed by households with high and low status alike,
while certain vessel shapes were reserved for high status households. These
findings challenge the common assumption that highly valued crafts were
monopolized by elites in middle-range societies, and show instead that there
is a potential demand for crafts by both elites and commoners. It is argued
that polychrome pottery was broadly used in Nasca because it was integral
to ritual consumption that first took place in feasting ceremonies at the
regional center Cahuachi, while certain vessel types were restricted to high
status households that acted as intermediaries between Cahuachi and
the village.