As with other societies that changed their way of life from nomadic to agricultural, Andean peoples needed new kinds of implements when they settled down to cultivate crops. Tools no longer had to be light and portable, as those of nomadic hunters necessarily were. Therefore, Pacopampa tools for crushing minerals, plants and grains—to prepare dyes, medicines and food—were made of heavy and solid materials such as stone. The mortar was probably shaped roughly first, then refined using sand or stone-grinding powder. The vessel’s form reflects its function: the interior is smooth and almost spherical, with a flat base. The mortar originated in the northern coastal area and would have been fashioned from the hardest stone that could be found locally, avoiding porous and soft materials such as sandstone. Made of granite, it is one of many utilitarian tools that did not need decoration, as a mortar was for everyday use and not intended for the afterlife.

Christine Dixon

As with other societies that changed their way of life from nomadic to agricultural, Andean peoples needed new kinds of implements when they settled down to cultivate crops. Tools no longer had to be light and portable, as those of nomadic hunters necessarily were. Therefore, Pacopampa tools for crushing minerals, plants and grains—to prepare dyes, medicines and food—were made of heavy and solid materials such as stone. The mortar was probably shaped roughly first, then refined using sand or stone-grinding powder. The vessel’s form reflects its function: the interior is smooth and almost spherical, with a flat base. The mortar originated in the northern coastal area and would have been fashioned from the hardest stone that could be found locally, avoiding porous and soft materials such as sandstone. Made of granite, it is one of many utilitarian tools that did not need decoration, as a mortar was for everyday use and not intended for the afterlife.

Christine Dixon