George Lau (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- January 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780813066448
- eISBN:
- 9780813058658
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813066448.003.0007
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
Of the major media in the Recuay culture (AD 1–700, Peru), metalwork is perhaps the least understood. This chapter reviews the major forms of Recuay metalwork (personal adornments, weapons) and ...
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Of the major media in the Recuay culture (AD 1–700, Peru), metalwork is perhaps the least understood. This chapter reviews the major forms of Recuay metalwork (personal adornments, weapons) and focuses on their imagery, technology, and contexts of use at three sites: Pashash, Pomakayán, and Chinchawas. Metals were not used for everyday objects. Rather, as signs of wealth and distinction, they served to affix people’s “social skin”—that frontier that mediates self and others. Metal objects were complements to textiles and therefore essential in making Recuay persons, namely chiefly lords and noble women, especially during times of social display and funerary cult. The imagery of metals repeats key designs in ceramics and stone sculpture, namely powerful mythical creatures and human figures seen as crucial in life and death transitions. Major changes in metal use occurred during the time of the Middle Horizon, when foreign cultural influence, especially Wari, transformed local practices.Less
Of the major media in the Recuay culture (AD 1–700, Peru), metalwork is perhaps the least understood. This chapter reviews the major forms of Recuay metalwork (personal adornments, weapons) and focuses on their imagery, technology, and contexts of use at three sites: Pashash, Pomakayán, and Chinchawas. Metals were not used for everyday objects. Rather, as signs of wealth and distinction, they served to affix people’s “social skin”—that frontier that mediates self and others. Metal objects were complements to textiles and therefore essential in making Recuay persons, namely chiefly lords and noble women, especially during times of social display and funerary cult. The imagery of metals repeats key designs in ceramics and stone sculpture, namely powerful mythical creatures and human figures seen as crucial in life and death transitions. Major changes in metal use occurred during the time of the Middle Horizon, when foreign cultural influence, especially Wari, transformed local practices.
Peter Eeckhout (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- January 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780813066448
- eISBN:
- 9780813058658
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813066448.001.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
Presenting studies in Andean archaeology and iconography by leading specialists in the field, this volume tackles the question of how researchers can come to understand the intangible, intellectual ...
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Presenting studies in Andean archaeology and iconography by leading specialists in the field, this volume tackles the question of how researchers can come to understand the intangible, intellectual worlds of ancient peoples. Archaeological Interpretations is a fascinating ontological journey through Andean cultures from the fourth millennium BC to the sixteenth century AD. Through evidence-based case studies, theoretical models, and methodological reflections, contributors discuss the various interpretations that can be derived from the traces of ritual activity that remain in the material record. They discuss how to accurately comprehend the social significance of artifacts beyond their practical use and how to decode the symbolism of sacred images. Addressing topics including the earliest evidence of shamanism in Ecuador, the meaning of masks among the Mochicas in Peru, the value of metal in the Recuay culture, and ceremonies of voluntary abandonment among the Incas, contributors propose original and innovative ways of interpreting the rich Andean archaeological heritage.Less
Presenting studies in Andean archaeology and iconography by leading specialists in the field, this volume tackles the question of how researchers can come to understand the intangible, intellectual worlds of ancient peoples. Archaeological Interpretations is a fascinating ontological journey through Andean cultures from the fourth millennium BC to the sixteenth century AD. Through evidence-based case studies, theoretical models, and methodological reflections, contributors discuss the various interpretations that can be derived from the traces of ritual activity that remain in the material record. They discuss how to accurately comprehend the social significance of artifacts beyond their practical use and how to decode the symbolism of sacred images. Addressing topics including the earliest evidence of shamanism in Ecuador, the meaning of masks among the Mochicas in Peru, the value of metal in the Recuay culture, and ceremonies of voluntary abandonment among the Incas, contributors propose original and innovative ways of interpreting the rich Andean archaeological heritage.
