The Archaeology and Pottery of Nazca, Peru: Alfred Kroeber’s 1926 Expedition

When Alfred Kroeber left Lima, Peru for the ruins of the Nazca region in July 1926, he could have had no inkling of the importance of what he would uncover. Nor would he have guessed that his excavation report would not appear until the end of the century, completed by Donald Collier and Patrick Carmichael after Kroeber’s death in 1960. Kroeber’s report contains what is still the only complete analysis and seriation of the beautiful painted pottery of Nazca, complete with over 400 photographs and drawings of objects uncovered in the excavations, some in full color. His report is also notable for its rare discussion of Nazca architecture, its description of cloth, hair bundles and other artifact groups, its accurate analysis of Nazca human remains, and even for one of the earliest descriptions and photographs of the famous Nazca lines. With careful editing by Collier and Carmichael, Kroeber’s work is far ahead of its time methodologically and is still an important source document for contemporary archaeology and art history of South America. A final chapter by Katharina J. Schreiber puts Kroeber’s work in the context of contemporary Nazca studies, including a reassessment of the sites discovered in the 1926 expedition. Important for both professional and avocational anthropologists, archaeologists, art historians, and those interested in the history of anthropology. Published in cooperation with The Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois