The Arqueología de Huancas y Estudios de Alfarería Doméstica (A.H.E.A.D.) Project works in collaboration with the community of Huancas (Amazonas, Peru) to trace the history of this former mitmaq (a community forcibly relocated by the Inka) and their potting tradition from the Late Horizon (ca. 1470- 1535) to Spanish Colonial (ca. 1535- 1823) period and into the present.
By conducting detailed ceramic analysis and petrography, this project aims to identify the ceramic composition, determine the location of ceramic raw materials (e.g., minerals, rocks, other inclusions), production methods, and the potential function of ceramics from Huancas. We address the following questions:
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What specific practices did Huanquina potters engage in?
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How did Huancas’ pottery production change over time, if at all?
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Do we see changes in pottery form, composition, size, and decoration?
Through this work, we examine the shifts in crafting practices, how potters engaged with their local landscape, and consider how Andean communities respond to colonial structures, and the role crafting plays in maintaining identity.