﻿Vol. 
  2] 
  THE 
  ATACAMENO 
  BENNETT 
  611 
  

  

  typical. 
  The 
  ware 
  is 
  plain 
  red 
  or 
  brown 
  and, 
  in 
  general 
  the 
  style 
  

   seems 
  early. 
  Tiahuanaco 
  graves 
  have 
  been 
  isolated 
  in 
  the 
  Rio 
  Loa 
  

   region, 
  representing 
  a 
  relatively 
  pure 
  Decadent 
  Period 
  style. 
  These 
  

   ceramics, 
  likewise, 
  bear 
  little 
  relationship 
  to 
  the 
  Atacameno, 
  and 
  quite 
  

   possibly 
  represent 
  an 
  actual 
  intrusion 
  from 
  the 
  Bolivian 
  Highlands. 
  

   In 
  brief, 
  the 
  whole 
  problem 
  of 
  Atacameno-TiahuaiiSbCO 
  interrelationship 
  

   has 
  yet 
  to 
  be 
  solved. 
  

  

  Much 
  of 
  the 
  true 
  Atacameno 
  pottery 
  is 
  undecorated 
  utilitarian 
  ware, 
  

   although 
  a 
  small 
  percentage 
  is 
  painted 
  with 
  simple 
  designs. 
  The 
  

   vessels 
  are 
  usually 
  well 
  fired 
  and 
  durable, 
  but 
  rather 
  thick 
  and 
  not 
  

   always 
  symmetrical. 
  The 
  most 
  characteristic 
  shapes 
  are 
  open 
  bowls 
  

   (pucos), 
  commonly 
  hemispherical 
  in 
  cross 
  section 
  although 
  other 
  

   variants 
  are 
  found: 
  asymmetric 
  or 
  boot-shaped 
  vessels; 
  one-handled 
  

   globular 
  cups; 
  simple 
  globular 
  ollas 
  with 
  two 
  horizontal 
  or 
  vertical 
  

   body 
  handles; 
  elongated 
  vases 
  with 
  straight 
  collars; 
  one-handled 
  

   pitchers; 
  and 
  characteristic 
  globular-shaped 
  bowls 
  with 
  flaring 
  collars, 
  

   vertical 
  side 
  handles, 
  and 
  truncated 
  conical 
  bases. 
  These 
  shapes 
  are 
  

   common 
  in 
  the 
  Rio 
  Loa 
  region 
  and, 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  two, 
  

   are 
  also 
  characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  Atacameno 
  Period 
  at 
  La 
  Pay 
  a. 
  

  

  The 
  plain-ware 
  vessels 
  are 
  muddy 
  red 
  or 
  unpolished 
  black 
  in 
  color 
  

   (pi. 
  129, 
  b-h). 
  The 
  painted 
  designs 
  are 
  generally 
  executed 
  in 
  black 
  on 
  

   red, 
  or 
  black 
  and 
  red 
  on 
  a 
  white 
  slip 
  base 
  (pi. 
  129, 
  a). 
  Simple 
  geomet- 
  

   ric 
  designs 
  predominate. 
  At 
  La 
  Paya, 
  series 
  of 
  superimposed 
  angular 
  

   lines 
  are 
  the 
  most 
  frequent 
  pattern, 
  although 
  cross-hatched 
  areas 
  and 
  

   other 
  simple 
  geometric 
  figures 
  occur. 
  In 
  the 
  Rio 
  Loa 
  region, 
  the 
  most 
  

   common 
  design 
  elements 
  are 
  steps, 
  triangles, 
  parallel 
  lines, 
  rows 
  of 
  

   dots, 
  and 
  combinations 
  based 
  on 
  all 
  of 
  these. 
  

  

  The 
  so-called 
  Chin 
  cha-^4 
  tacameno 
  pottery 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  great 
  abun- 
  

   dance 
  in 
  all 
  of 
  north 
  Chile, 
  even 
  including 
  the 
  Coast, 
  and 
  represents 
  

   the 
  Late 
  Period. 
  The 
  Atacameno 
  ceramic 
  shapes 
  persist, 
  but 
  there 
  is 
  

   much 
  greater 
  emphasis 
  on 
  flat-based 
  vases 
  and 
  jars 
  and 
  on 
  one-handled 
  

   pitchers. 
  Painted 
  ware 
  is 
  more 
  abundant, 
  and 
  the 
  designs, 
  although 
  

   still 
  essentially 
  geometrical, 
  are 
  more 
  intricate. 
  The 
  vessels 
  are 
  

   covered 
  with 
  a 
  red 
  slip 
  and 
  painted 
  in 
  black 
  plus 
  other 
  colors. 
  The 
  

   most 
  typical 
  small-unit 
  designs, 
  are 
  hooks, 
  serrations, 
  meandering 
  

   lines, 
  zigzags, 
  rhomboids, 
  frets, 
  triangles, 
  Z's, 
  small 
  stylized 
  animals, 
  

   and 
  human 
  figures. 
  Such 
  units 
  are 
  arranged 
  in 
  many 
  combinations, 
  

   and 
  cover 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  outside 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  vessels. 
  It 
  is 
  this 
  ceramic 
  

   design 
  style 
  that 
  has 
  suggested 
  influences 
  from 
  the 
  South 
  Coast 
  of 
  Peru, 
  

   where 
  the 
  Chincha 
  are 
  traditionally 
  supposed 
  to 
  have 
  resided. 
  

  

  Polished 
  black-ware 
  goblets, 
  bottles, 
  and 
  plates 
  occur 
  in 
  many 
  sites 
  

   (pi. 
  129, 
  i). 
  This 
  ware 
  has 
  been 
  isolated 
  in 
  some 
  graves, 
  but 
  most 
  

   scholars 
  consider 
  it 
  as 
  a 
  variant 
  on 
  the 
  Chinchei-Atacameno 
  style, 
  

   rather 
  than 
  a 
  distinct 
  period. 
  

  

  