Peru -- Primarily Machu Picchu (Dec 2010)

These are pottery jugs. In this particular design, the "double spout" (double for part of its length) serves as a handle. There were MANY pottery jugs and bottles of many different types.

What puzzled me was the great condition of this very old jugs (in addition to the excellent craftsmanship for much of it). Many looked like they had never been used. I later came to an "understanding" (I THINK I understand): they had indeed never been used, except once, in a burial ceremony. These were manufactured to be used in such ceremonies, and then buried with the deceased person's body. At least, I think that was what was going on.

As I said there were many different styles of pottery. I had the impression a lot of the dating was by style, since a lot of this stuff was collected (dug up) before scientific means were available to determine age from samples of the surrounding soil, or from organic material buried at the same time as the pottery.