Cultural complexity and the ceramics of Pirque Alto

Abstract

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.