Abstract

In the altiplano region of Nariño (Colombia) and Carchi (Ecuador), three overlapping pottery styles, Tuza, Piartal and Capulí, were produced in the pre-Hispanic period. While these wares have been recovered and discussed frequently in past literature, their context (recovered mostly from burial contexts) and lack of prior technical studies has prevented any conclusive inferences about their technology, craft organisation, or diachronic evolution. Through a comparative analysis of the chaînes opératoires of three decorated wares using geometric morphometrics, bulk chemistry, microscopy, and microanalysis on a large sample from multiple sites, we are beginning to disentangling the ceramic traditions of Nariño. Capulí and Piartal, for instance, share decorative features and production pathways which we interpret as indicating the direct knowledge transmission and interaction between their makers. Similarity in vessel morphology and clay sources between Piartal and Tuza ceramics suggests continuity between these two technological traditions, but new decorative techniques and designs in Tuza vessels are strongly indicative of exogenous influences. Analyses of inter- and intra-vessel variability using geometric morphometric methods provide further insights into craft organisation, levels of specialisation, and potters’ skills. This study offers a model for comparing decorated ceramic traditions, emphasizing the connections between decorative techniques, technological choices, and craft organisation.

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