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

Abstract

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.