Castillo Decorated Ceramics as Boundary Objects: A Technological Reappraisal of the North Coast Tradition from Peru During the Early Intermediate Period

On Peru's northern coast, the frequent findings of Castillo Decorated ceramics in Virú (200–600/700 BCE) and Moche (100–800 CE) archaeological contexts have led to definition of a northern coastal tradition. Presumably, these ceramics were produced by a community of potters who possessed and transmitted their own technical traditions for nearly eight centuries, independent of the elites. A recent study of Virú and Moche shaping techniques reveals that Castillo Decorated ceramics were mainly produced by hammering, a typical Virú percussion technique. However, one exception is found at the Uhle Platform at Moche, where some of these ceramics were manufactured by coiling, a Moche technique. To reconsider the North Coast tradition, in particular the spatial and chronological distribution of Castillo Decorated ceramics, I apply the boundary object concept to understand the use of two distinct and contemporary shaping techniques for production of the same vessel form.