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Cayacayani. A new sequence in Andean potteryGeraldine Byrne Caballero aa Cochabamba, BoliviaPublished online: 20 Jul 2010.

To cite this article: Geraldine Byrne Caballero (1964) Cayacayani. A new sequence in Andean pottery, Ethnos: Journal ofAnthropology, 29:1-2, 87-96, DOI: 10.1080/00141844.1964.9980950

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00141844.1964.9980950

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Cayacayani. A New Sequence inAndean Pottery

GERALDINE BYRNE CABALLEROCochabamba, Bolivia

This article describes stratigraphical work effected at the burial siteof Cayacayani, an area located in the fertile Santivanez valley, some25 miles south-west of the town of Cochabamba, Bolivia.

The patronymic is an Indian hamlet which centers around thermalsprings. These form the nucleus of a small hotel where swimmingpools and a bottling plant for medicinal waters have made it apopular health resort.

Before the recent land-reform program which distributed all farmland among the peasants, the site was owned by the Teran familyfor many generations. A fine collection of pottery at the Teranresidence in Cochabamba and several outstanding Cayacayani speci-mens at the University museum induced us to explore the burialgrounds.

Both grave material and domestic artifacts belonging to pre-Incaarchaeological periods are found all over the Santivanez valley andin sheltered pockets on the surrounding hills. The site described, oneof many, is located south of the hotel on a knoll of loose organicsoil. This was probably a mound which, as often happens in Andeanagricultural regions, was levelled by the peasants for cultivationpurposes precisely because of its rich organic content. A creek nowcuts the site in two and its banks furnish a clear stratigraphy of thevarious archeological levels..

II

The Cochabamba area, east of the Andes mountains, is geo-graphically a part of the Bolivian lowlands. However, archaeological

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remains establish a definite cultural demarcation between the Cocha-bamba valleys and the Beni and Santa Cruz areas. Thus, the Cocha-bamba archaeological complex is linked to the Andean highlands andthe Pacific coast rather than to the lowlands of which it forms aphysical part.

Early records disclose that the lowland tribes made no significantirruptions toward the highland regions. Conversely, neither the Tia-huanaco nor the Inca conquerors whose crumbling fortresses stillstand watch on the last hilly slopes of the Andes were capable ofsubduing or incorporating the barbarian nomads of the plains. Con-sequently, nearly all the pottery found at Cochabamba sites shownorthern and coastal influences rather than any significant affinities'with the Bolivian river plains. A few burial urns, and some blackincised pottery, might indicate as noted by Wendell Bennett, someGuaraní contacts. Nordenskiöld also ascribed certain crude vesselswith a special type of handle to Amazonian of Guaraní origins.

Ill

A large number of archaeological sites in the Cochabamba areahave been classified. Of these, the best known are Arani, Tiquipayaand Colquapirua [Wendell Bennet); Tupuraya (Stig Rydén];Cliza and Mizque [Ibarra Grasso). Though mentioned en passantby Wendell Bennett, no one, to our knowledge, has typed thematerial at Cayacayani.

While an examination of the Cayacayani artifacts discloses anobvious affinity with Arani grave materials, there is a definite localstyle in interpreting Tiahuanaco patterns and some entirely newstyles which makes Cayacayani pottery easily distinguishable fromother Cochabamba groups.

In addition to Tiahuanaco influences, there is one particular typeof pottery which occurs consistently throughout all the Cochabambadeposits. This is a style which has no Tiahuanaco affinities in eitherdesign, coloring or techniques. Ibarra Grasso has christened it"Nazcoid." We cannot find any satisfactory evidence of such rela-tionship. However, since these specimens stand out so clearly fromall other types, we shall preserve the nomenclature for the time

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GERALDINE BYRNE CABALLERO: CAYACAYANI

Fig. i. Tiahuanaco vesselwith human figure. Noteclassical "running figure"with feline mask, tailused as sceptre, apronwith sacrificial knife["tumi"]. Tiahuanacovessels found in topgrave. Cayacayani II.

Fig. i a. Detail of Tiahuanaco priest onvessel Fig. i.

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being for want of another. Our excavations do confirm Ibarra'stheory that this "Nazcoid" style occurs before the Tiahuanacaclassical phase and that it influenced the latter. Bennett also men-tions these as "entirely new styles" but does not attempt to givethem their stratigraphical place since he did not find any specimens,within the Arani graves. This is entirely logical as his Arani I, withclassical and derived Tiahuanaco pieces, occurs at a level higher thanour Cayacayani I with its Nazcoid pieces.

Wendell Bennett [Excavations in Bolivia. Anthropological Papersof the American Museum of Natural History, vol. 35, part 4. NewYork 1936. P. 402] also states: "Cochabamba-Tiahuanacu, at itsbest, lacks the full puma, condor, and human figure of the High-lands". This holds true for the rest of the Cochabamba sites, but, atCayacayani, the higher levels yield classical Tiahuanaco specimenswith the full human, and puma, figures. (See: illustrations)

These typical traits and the discovery of another level directlybelow Arani I at Cayacayani, justify the establishment of a separatesequence for the Cayacayani complex.

IV

The Excavation

As at most Andean burial sites fragments of many types of potterycover the ground of the Santivanez valley. These may not be pro-perly classed as surface sherds, since they are nearly always theresult of previous excavations made by treasure seekers. We there-fore sought undisturbed patches among the pits already workedand planned to be guided by the cross-section visible at the creek.Later, however, we were forced to follow the atavie instincts of ourIndian hands, rather than our own more scientific trends.

We were assisted in our digging by a group of Indians from theadjoining hamlet. One of these, a tin-smith called Nicolas, seemed tohave a rhabdomantic flair for locating the graves of his forbears.Before starting work, Nicolas and his men exacted from us a sub-stantial priming óf pisco, coca leaves, and cakes of a vegetable ashwhich catalyzes and frees the alkaloid content of coca, and is guaran-

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GERALDINE BYRNE CABALLERO." CAYACAYANI

Fig. 2. "Nazcoid" vase, found at Cayacayani. Level: Cayacayani 1. Light orangeground, gray and purple designs.

Fig. 5 a. Detail of crab figure onCayacayani I pottery, fig. 5. Vermi-lion on orange ground, figure out-lined in black and then white.

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teed to stimulate muscular energy and deaden fatigue. Before imbib-ing their pisco (grape alcohol] the men solemnly sprinkled a fewdrops on Mother Earth to invoke her forgiveness for raping hertreasures. These ceremonial preambles are most frustrating to diggerswho are "rarin' to go" while their labor sit around in stony silencechewing the cud or placating Mother Earth. However irritating,the rite seems to open up certain divinatory powers : Nicolas givesa signal and the Indians grab their tools and file away to what seemsto us a most unlikely digging spot.

The Burials

Five graves were opened up at the Cayacayani site. Of these weshall describe two as being the most typical and illuminating. Inall cases, when giving the depths from the ground surface, we shouldconsider that erosion and agricultural disturbances must have takenoff a great deal of soil giving a greater depth for the original lay-out. Or the contrary may also be true: the mound of organic matterand kitchen deposits may have been raised later, long after thegraves had been constructed.

Grave I - Cayacayani II [Corresponds chronologically to Arani I]At a depth of over three feet there appeared a tomb of well-laidashlars fixed by a long central stone, similar to the Arani I burials.Below these covering rocks was a rectangular chamber, about 6 feetlong, enclosed by well-fitted side stones. The bottom of the gravewas paved with smooth stones, forming a box-like structure about2 feet deep. This enclosure was quite clear and empty. It seemedthat the grave had already been opened, although it showed nosigns of violation, and we suggested moving to another spot. Butour man Nicolas refused to move. The Indians carefully removed thestone floor and continued excavating. The soil was now dark andloose and full of organic residue. About a foot later the men castaside their picks and we started on trowel work. There were whitishstreaks and a few thin skeletal remains. [The mineral content of theCayacayani waters appears to dissolve bone structure and nearly allthe human remains in this area were reduced to a whitish powder.)

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GERALDINE BYRNE CABALLERO: CAYACAYANI

Figs. 3-5. Conical keros with zoomorphic figures and a spouted vessel withwavy tear-lines. Grave II, under Grave I. Cayacayani I, together with earlyTiahuanaco designs.

Figs. 6-8. Early Tiahuanaco designs, found in Grave II (Cayacayani I) together"with non-Tiahuanaco specimens and a "nazcoid" vase, Fig. 2.

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More trowel work disclosed five vessels arranged in a semi-circlearound the head of the grave.a} A very fine vase of smooth, well-fired pottery with twin classicalTiahuanaco figures treated in typical Cayacayani fashion: a runningpriest-figure with feline mask, the cat-tail stylized as a sceptre, stolicain the right hand, ceremonial apron with "tumi" (semi-circularsacrificial knife.) Figs, i and i a.b) Three low, wide mouthed vessels, without the usual "S" design.c) One narrow-mouthed vessel of rough manufacture with theTiahuanaco staircase design.

Grave II - Cayacayani IAfter exhausting the first grave, we continued digging for abouta foot. The soil was now virgin yellow clay and further excavationstruck a layer of gravelly soil with round pebbles which indicatedan old streambed. We did not feel encouraged to continue theexcavation at this particular spot. However, Nicolas, after anothergenerous swig of pisco and further placations to Mother Earth,resumed his pickwork. A layer of brown soil lay under the pebbles.Then one of the Indians hit the edge of a large boulder. Trowel workdiscovered a jutting rock with soft earth underneath, then the mouthof a large hollow tomb. We were now about 7 feet down.

Flashlights showed an uneven cavity, 7 ft. by 3 ft., approximately.The cave was supported by rough boulders which did not appear tobe fitted or cut. The inside of the grave was dank, with salty infiltra-tions from the surrounding soil. Calcareous deposits and cartilag-ineous remains indicated at least one human burial. In a neat.semicircle at what might have been the "head" of the grave werelaid eight vessels:i) A perfect example of the ovoid-body, narrow-mouthed "Nazcoid"type, with gray, purple and white design [octopus?) on a light orangeground. Figs. 2 a and b.ii) A conical kero with two crab-like figures in bright vermilionon orange ground. The design was outlined in black, then white.Figs. 5 and 5 a.iii) Another conical vessel bearing two bat-like figures in scarlet onorange ground. The design was also outlined in black and white.Kg- 3-

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GERALDINE BYRNE CABALLERO: CAYACAYANI

Fig. 9. Cayacayani vase. Note spedal treatment of tail, which forms the bodyand tail in one. This treatment of the feline tail is typical of Cayacayanipottery. Level: Cayacayani II. This pot is from the same burial ground, but wasnot excavated at the same time as the others.

iv) Two low, flat-bottomed vases with very primitive Tiahuanacopatterns. Fig. 7. The Cochabamba-style ridges were both paintedand molded.v) A small globular pot, with wavy "tear" lines in brown andwhite on reddish ground. This vessel shows a long spout withoutthe usual "bridge". Fig. 4.vi) Two small wide-mouthed pots with staircase designs.

In exchange for a five-gallon jar of chicha (maize beer), Nicolasdonated another Nazcoid vessel which he claimed he had found inthe river bank during the wet season. This vase was identical withspecimen i) although somewhat eroded. Figs. 9 a-c. Excavationsat other spots in the area but which we do not have the strati-graphy, yielded a small tetrapod with flat rectangular legs; a smalltripod, with the same type of legs; a very large (18 inches) silver"topo" (combined spoon and shawl-pin) and various vessels ofthe Cayacayani I type. Sieve- and trowel-work at the two gravesdescribed did not yield any metal or other artifacts.

ConclusionsExcavations at Cayacayani establish two stratigraphical levels,with two types of graves and concomittant funeral material:

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Cayacayani I - Hollow tombs at a consistent surface level of 7 to8 feet, found directly under the Cayacayani II burials, covered byseveral layers of virgin clay, river-bed deposits and, lower down,organic soil.

Content: Examples of early Tiahuanaco forms and designs, to-gether with speciens of non-Tiahuanaco designs, particularly oceaniczoomorphic figures such as crabs, octopii, etc. The "Nazcoid" proto-type vessel, ovoid and narrow-mouthed, with octopus design in gray,purple and white, places itself at this level. Ibarra Grasso has a fewof these vases at the University museum, and we also have two ofthese, all identical in size, coloring and design; however, this is thefirst time that the stratigraphy of this type of vessel has been clearlyestablished.

Cayacayani II - Tombs made of well-fitted stones, with a large,long, central rock on top, forming a stone-lined coffin, as at Arani.In the various burials of this type at Cayacayani, the ceremonialmaterial and calcareous human remains were found under the floorof the tomb, rather than inside, as is usual in this kind of burial inthe Cochabamba area.

Contents: Very fine classical Tiahuanaco vessels, well-painted andfired. Rougher vessels accompany one specially good piece. The Tia-huanaco theme is treated in the special Cayacayani manner, whichstresses the treatment of the feline tail: this may be naturalistic, orforming a scepter, a frame-like design, etc. Feathers on some of thesefeline tails have led some observers to call it a "plumed serpent"design.

Two other excavations made at different times, at a depth of.about three feet, yielded child urn-burials with tiny vessels of rough,black pottery arranged around the mouth of the urn.

The pottery found at Cayacayani, together with other odd piecesfound or donated at different times, were given to Dr. Ibarra Grassofor the Museo de Arqueología of the Universidad de San Simón atCochabamba, Bolivia.

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