Ecology and Ceramic Production in an Andean Community

Description

Following the theoretical perspective of his earlier book, Ceramic Theory and Cultural Process (1985), Dean Arnold's ethnoarchaeological study explores the relationships of ceramic production to society and its environment in the Peruvian Andes. The book traces these contemporary linkages through the production, decoration, and use of pottery and relates them to the analysis and interpretation of ancient ceramic production. Utilizing an ecological approach within a single community, Arnold expands the scope of previous ceramic theory by focusing on the population as the unit of analysis in production and decoration.

"In sum, Dean Arnold has once again produced an impressive, scholarly investigation of pottery production and consumption. For those who characterized his previous ecological work as too general, he has responded with a detailed, well-argued treatment of a specific production community. For those who believed the relevance of his research was condemned to the ethnographic present, he has provided a though provoking model for the archaeological development of ceramic making in Peru. With Ecology and Ceramic Production in an Andean Community, Arnold continues his significant contribution to the field of ceramic studies. Let us hope that ten more years won't pass before we can benefit from another of his outstanding efforts." Philip J. Arnold III, American Anthropologist