Experimentation with ceramic pastes containing high amounts of pyroclastic materials: their relation to the manufacture of Inka vessels

PÁEZ, MARÍA CECILIA; GIOVANNETTI, MARCO ANTONIO; ARNOSIO, MARCELO

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences

Springer-Verlag

Año: 2013 vol. 5 p. 3 - 18

1866-9557

Pyroclastic inclusions constitute an important component of the ceramic pastes associated with the Inka period in the Argentine northwest. The study presented here attempted to reproduce experimentally the pre-Hispanic techniques used to manufacture ceramics with these components. A set of briquettes was created with similar percentages of pyroclastic and sand inclusions, as well as a set with no added inclusions. The results obtained indicated a reduction in vessel weight with high levels of pumice inclusions, which would confer a functional advantage regarding the efficiency of medium- and long-distance transportation of products.