99 Bottles Of Chicha On the Wall: A Stylistic Analysist Of Unprovenanced Andean Ceramics In a Small Academic Museum

This thesis presents an archaeological analysis of a ceramic collection in the Linfield Anthropology Museum containing vessels from the Moche and Chimu cultures of the north coast of Peru. A stylistic analysis was utilized to understand the artistic decisions made throughout the creation of each vessel. This collection, as with many Moche and Chimu collections, was most likely gathered through illegal looting practices. As a result, many archaeologists are hesitant to work with such collections as they lack necessary and informative data on site context. This thesis provides an example of how these types of collections may still be analyzed and understood through alternative methods, such as through an analysis of molding techniques and decorative styles. Determining whether these cultures had similarities in styles indicates cultural continuity through numerous outside pressures. As the political system slowly crumbled and various outside pressures imposed hardship onto the people, small differences in ceramic style formed. However, a closer look into the materials and technology available to artisans indicate that substantial similarities still existed as the Moche culture evolved into the Chimu culture. Finally, this analysis demonstrates that cultures do not disappear but instead adapt and change in response to outside pressures.