Vaughn, Kevin J. and Hector Neff

Moving Beyond Iconography: Neutron Activation Analysis of
Ceramics from Marcaya, Peru, an Early Nasca Domestic Site.

2000 Journal of Field Archaeology 27(1):75-90.

Abstract

Fineware polychrome ceramics of the Nasca culture (A.C. 1-750), renowned
for their elaborate iconography and artistic and technical quality, have only
recently been examined for the social and economic contexts of their
production. We present the results from a pilot study of instrumental neutron
activation of a sample of excavated ceramics from the Early Nasca domestic
site of Marcaya, Peru. The study indicates varibility in the chemical
composition of plainware ceramics, while painted vessels and panpipes from
the site form a single compositional group. These results are evaluated in
light of existing models of Nasca pottery production and exchange. Since
excavations did not reveal evidence for pottery production at Marcaya, we
suggest that the results of the compositional analysis indicate that the
fineware ceramics at Marcaya were produced elsewhere. This pilot study
demonstrates that compositional analyses of Nasca ceramics can make a
significant contribution to the study of Nasca pottery production, and it
provides a valuable comparative dataset for future analyses.