Cultural complexity and the ceramics of Pirque Alto
Date
2007-04Author
Siferd, Heidi
Publisher
Archaeological Studies Program, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This study's objective is to provide evidence that the different ceramic vessel forms present in the archaeological assemblage in Pirque Alto, Bolivia, during specific time periods were directly related to the sociopolitical structure of the culture at the site. The collection of ceramics retrieved from the archaeological site was analyzed and compiled into Microsoft Access and Microsoft Excel files, which were then studied thoroughly. The ceramics data from each separate time period were compared to one
another and were also separated into different vessel forms. Graphs, as well as tables and
charts, were created to better represent the data, and several statistics were calculated,
including the percentages of each vessel in each time period. Distinct patterns in the ceramic assemblage could be seen, which led to the conclusion that the ceramic vessel forms are a direct reflection of the sociopolitical changes the culture had experienced
over time.
Subject
Indian pottery -- Bolivia -- Pirque Alto Site
Social structure -- Bolivia -- Pirque Alto Site
Pirque Alto Site (Bolivia)
Bolivia -- Antiquities