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Nasca Artefacts

The Nazca (Nasca) culture flourished from c. 100 BC to 800 AD Created by: PICRYLDated: 2017

Cup with Spotted Face Deity

The Nasca culture (also Nazca) was the archaeological culture that flourished from c. 100 BC to 800 AD beside the arid, southern coast of Peru in the river valleys of the Rio Grande de Nazca drainage and the Ica Valley. Having been heavily influenced by the preceding Paracas culture, which was known for extremely complex textiles, the Nasca produced an array of crafts and technologies such as ceramics, textiles, and geoglyphs, often of enormous scale, called the Nasca Lines. They built a large system of underground aqueducts that still function today.
Nazca food chain was based on agriculture. The iconography on ceramics indicates a varied diet, composed of maize, squash, sweet potato, manioc and achira, and a small trace of various fish. The evidence of coca consumption can be seen through remains but also through ceramics. This is the same for the hallucinogenic San Pedro cactus, which has been illustrated in ceremonies on several polychrome pots and bowls.
From 500 AD, the Nasca civilization started to decline and by 750 AD the civilization had fallen completely. This is thought to have occurred when an El Niño triggered widespread and destructive flooding destroying fertile lands.
The Nazca culture is characterized by its beautiful polychrome pottery, painted with at least 15 distinct colors using a pre-fire painting that required a great deal of experimentation in order to know which slips produced certain colors. Archaeologists have excavated highly valued polychrome pottery among all classes of Nazca society, illustrating that it was not just the elite that had access to them.
The Nazca had no writing system so the iconography or symbols on ceramics served as a means of communication. The motifs depicted on Nazca pottery fall into two major categories: sacred and profane. The Nazca believed in powerful nature spirits who were thought to control most aspects of life. The Nazca visualized these nature spirits in the form of mythical beings, creatures having a combination of human and animal/bird/fish characteristics, and painted them onto their pottery.

119 Media in collection ∙ page 1 of 2

Double Spout Bottle, Nazca

Double Spout Bottle, Nazca

Peru

Painted Jar, 6th century

Painted Jar, 6th century

Peru

Textile Ornament, 2nd century

Textile Ornament, 2nd century

Painted Bowl, 6th century

Painted Bowl, 6th century

Peru

Painted Bowl, 6th century

Painted Bowl, 6th century

Peru

Bird Ornament, 2nd century

Bird Ornament, 2nd century

Bottle, Fish, 6th century

Bottle, Fish, 6th century

Peru

Bridge and Spout Bottle in Bird Form

Bridge and Spout Bottle in Bird Form

Head Jar, 6th century

Head Jar, 6th century

Peru

Double Spout Bottle, Nazca

Double Spout Bottle, Nazca

Painted Bowl with Beans

Painted Bowl with Beans

Peru

Painted Bowl, 6th century

Painted Bowl, 6th century

Peru

Double spout and bridge bottle

Double spout and bridge bottle

Drum, 1st century AD

Drum, 1st century AD

Painted Bowl, 6th century

Painted Bowl, 6th century

Peru

Two Bird Ornaments, Nazca

Two Bird Ornaments, Nazca

Bottle, Drum, 6th century

Bottle, Drum, 6th century

Peru

Bird Jar, 6th century

Bird Jar, 6th century

Peru

Bird Ornament, 2nd century

Bird Ornament, 2nd century

Painted Jar, 6th century

Painted Jar, 6th century

Peru

Beaker, 6th century, Nazca

Beaker, 6th century, Nazca

Peru

Bowl, 6th century, Nazca

Bowl, 6th century, Nazca

Peru

Textile Ornament, 2nd century

Textile Ornament, 2nd century

Beaker, 6th century, Nazca

Beaker, 6th century, Nazca

Peru

Painted Bowl, 6th century

Painted Bowl, 6th century

Peru

Tall Painted Bowl, Nazca

Tall Painted Bowl, Nazca

Peru

Double Spout and Bridge Bottle with Birds

Double Spout and Bridge Bottle with Birds

Double Spout Bottle, Feline-Otter

Double Spout Bottle, Feline-Otter

Peru

Jar, 6th century, Nazca

Jar, 6th century, Nazca

Peru

Trophy Head Vessel, Nazca

Trophy Head Vessel, Nazca

Peru

Painted jar with stripes

Painted jar with stripes

Peru, Ica Valley

Spindle, 7th century, Nazca

Spindle, 7th century, Nazca

Peru

Bowl: Crab, 4th century

Bowl: Crab, 4th century

Peru

Bowl: Crab, 4th century

Bowl: Crab, 4th century

Peru

Bowl, 4th century, Nazca

Bowl, 4th century, Nazca

Headband, 7th century, Nazca

Headband, 7th century, Nazca

Peru

Bag, 7th century, Nazca

Bag, 7th century, Nazca

Peru

Bowl, Warrior Deity, Nazca

Bowl, Warrior Deity, Nazca

Peru

Bottle, Guardian, 4th century

Bottle, Guardian, 4th century

Peru

Headdress ornament, 2nd century

Headdress ornament, 2nd century

Peru

Bag, 7th century, Nazca

Bag, 7th century, Nazca

Peru

Pair of Spouted Bottles

Pair of Spouted Bottles

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Spindle, 7th century, Nazca

Spindle, 7th century, Nazca

Peru

Painted Bowl with Diagonal Lines

Painted Bowl with Diagonal Lines

Peru

Jar, Whiskered Face, Nazca

Jar, Whiskered Face, Nazca

Peru

Painted Bowl with Pointed Base

Painted Bowl with Pointed Base

Peru

Bottle, Mythic Figures, Nazca

Bottle, Mythic Figures, Nazca

Peru

Jar, 6th century, Nazca

Jar, 6th century, Nazca

Peru

Painted Jar, 6th century

Painted Jar, 6th century

Peru

Double Spout Bottle, Killer Whale Motif

Double Spout Bottle, Killer Whale Motif

Peru

Figure Bottle, 6th century

Figure Bottle, 6th century

Peru

Grotesque Figure Bottle, Nazca

Grotesque Figure Bottle, Nazca

Peru

Painted Flared Bowl with Deity

Painted Flared Bowl with Deity

Peru

Cup with Spotted Face Deity

Cup with Spotted Face Deity

Peru

Ornamental Tassels, 7th century

Ornamental Tassels, 7th century

Peru

Beaker, 7th century, Nazca

Beaker, 7th century, Nazca

Peru

Bag, 7th century, Nazca

Bag, 7th century, Nazca

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Sash or Headband, Nazca

Sash or Headband, Nazca

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Tunic, 7th century, Nazca

Tunic, 7th century, Nazca

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Band Fragment, 7th century

Band Fragment, 7th century

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Fringed Bag, 7th century

Fringed Bag, 7th century

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Band Fragment, 7th century

Band Fragment, 7th century

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Band Fragment, 7th century

Band Fragment, 7th century

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Sash or Headband, Nazca

Sash or Headband, Nazca

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Hanging (?), 7th century, Nazca

Hanging (?), 7th century, Nazca

Peru

Band Fragment, 7th century

Band Fragment, 7th century

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Tapestry Bag, 7th century

Tapestry Bag, 7th century

Peru

Bag Fragment, 7th century

Bag Fragment, 7th century

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Tapestry Panel, 7th century

Tapestry Panel, 7th century

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Fringed Bag, 7th century

Fringed Bag, 7th century

Peru

Figure Bottle, 7th century

Figure Bottle, 7th century

Peru

Panel, 7th century, Nazca

Panel, 7th century, Nazca

Peru

Bag, 7th century, Nazca

Bag, 7th century, Nazca

Peru

Sash Fragment, 7th century

Sash Fragment, 7th century

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Band Fragment, 7th century

Band Fragment, 7th century

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Tapestry Bag, 7th century

Tapestry Bag, 7th century

Peru

Bag, 7th century, Nazca

Bag, 7th century, Nazca

Peru

Band Fragment, 7th century

Band Fragment, 7th century

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Fringed Bag, 7th century

Fringed Bag, 7th century

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Panel with Figures, Nazca

Panel with Figures, Nazca

Peru

Fringed Bag, 7th century

Fringed Bag, 7th century

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Bag, 7th century, Nazca

Bag, 7th century, Nazca

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Embroidered Fragment, 7th century

Embroidered Fragment, 7th century

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Fragment with Figures, Nazca

Fragment with Figures, Nazca

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Fringed Bag, 7th century

Fringed Bag, 7th century

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Sash (?), 9th century, Nazca

Sash (?), 9th century, Nazca

Peru

Fringed Bag, 7th century

Fringed Bag, 7th century

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Tunic Fragment, 9th century

Tunic Fragment, 9th century

Peru

Bag, 9th century, Nazca

Bag, 9th century, Nazca

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Bag, 9th century, Nazca

Bag, 9th century, Nazca

Peru

Tapestry Fragment with Figures

Tapestry Fragment with Figures

Peru

Embroidered Border Fragment, Nazca

Embroidered Border Fragment, Nazca

Peru

Border Fragment, Nazca

Border Fragment, Nazca

Peru

Bridge and Spout Vessel with Duck Head

Bridge and Spout Vessel with Duck Head

Embroidered Border Fragment, Nazca

Embroidered Border Fragment, Nazca

Peru

Border Fragment, Figure, Nazca

Border Fragment, Figure, Nazca

Peru

Border Fragment, Nazca

Border Fragment, Nazca

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

Bowl, Nazca

Peru

Textile Ornament, Nazca

Textile Ornament, Nazca

Peru

Border Fragment, Nazca

Border Fragment, Nazca

Peru, Rio Grande de Nasca

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