Pottery production, regional exchange, and state collapse during the Middle Horizon ( A.D. 500–1000): LA-ICP-MS analyses of Tiwanaku pottery in the Moquegua Valley, Peru

A study using Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) reveals that during the Middle Horizon (A.D. 500–1000), non-local ceramic vessels were imported into the Moquegua Valley, Peru, alongside locally produced pottery, indicating extensive regional exchange under Tiwanaku state authority. This suggests that long-distance trade persisted even after the collapse of the Tiwanaku state around A.D. 1000, though with shifts in the networks involved. The research challenges traditional stylistic analyses by providing chemical evidence for the movement and production of pottery, offering new insights into the dynamics of statecraft and post-collapse economic resilience.

Sharratt, N., Golitko, M., & Williams, P. R. (2015). Pottery production, regional exchange, and state collapse during the Middle Horizon (A.D.500–1000): LA-ICP-MS analyses of Tiwanaku pottery in the Moquegua Valley, Peru. Journal of Field Archaeology, 40(4), 397–412. https://doi.org/10.1179/2042458214y.0000000001