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Over the years I have devised a taxonomic classification of Nasca iconographic themes based on an identification of recurring motifs in the ceramic art. This has not always proven easy. Many Nasca motifs are the product of the combination of an infinite number of symbolic elements, which makes it difficult to identify any motif as “standard.” Nevertheless, a broad outline of major themes can be identified by using a large enough sample. My classification begins with the identification of sacred themes and their major types such as the Anthropomorphic Mythical Being (AMB), the Horrible Bird (HB), and the Mythical Spotted Cat (SC), each denoted by an abbreviated code. These in turn are broken down into successive subtypes based on major variations of each theme. The Anthropomorphic Mythical Being, for example, has a number of major variations : AMB-1 is a common variety always painted with a human body wearing a cape or “signifer” and extending around the circumference of a vessel, while AMB-3 is a standing type, much more human in form, holding weapons and trophy heads in its hands. These major varieties can further be broken down into subtypes based on other commonly recurring attributes. In the case of AMB-1, we can make additional distinctions based on the terminator element on its signifer or cape. AMB-1-A has a feline head terminator; AMB-1-B ends in a killer whale tail; AMB-1-C has a bird terminator; and so on. I have identified approximately 40 major motifs in the ceramic iconography, which can be broken down into around 325 subvarieties. The typology established to categorize the motifs in Nasca art is not etched in stone. Some motifs are unique or cannot be easily classified in my system; others may require reclassification in the future. This current effort is an attempt to present the motifs in a manner by which each can be easily identified through its individual characteristics and understood in the context of the Nasca culture. I do not attempt to present a detailed chronological seriation for each motif here, as seen, for example, in my earlier work on Phases 3 and 4 (Proulx 1968) or in Roark’s (1965) study of Phase 5 and 6 motifs. While such a study is necessary and desirable, the present volume does not have space available for it; nor has all the research been completed to provide the required result. Chronological changes are noted in a few cases where a motif is of long duration in the sequence, but the major thrust here is to identify the main iconographic motifs and use them to attempt a reconstruction of certain aspects of Nasca society. While it is tempting to categorize the themes in Nasca art as either “sacred” or “profane,” I feel it is more accurate to include an intermediate group for those motifs that could fall into either category depending on their context. Five»ADescriptionandInterpretationofthe MajorThemesinNascaCeramicIconography ฀ «฀ description฀and฀interpretation฀of฀major฀themes Supernatural฀or฀Sacred฀Themes amb:฀Anthropomorphic฀Mythical฀Beings฀ The motif labeled the Anthropomorphic Mythical Being (AMB) is one of the most frequent sacred themes in Nasca art. Referred to in the past as the “cat-demon” or “masked god,” this creature was thought to have its origins in the late Paracas culture. It is frequently seen embroidered on textiles of the so-called Paracas Necropolis Period (see Tello 1959 for numerous examples). As noted above, however, many of these “Paracas” textiles are now thought to date to and be culturally part of the early Nasca phases. This interpretation appears to be consistent with the archaeological evidence, for the earliest examples of this motif in the ceramic art are not found until Nasca Phase 2, suggesting a shift from the textile to the ceramic medium at that time. Variants of the Anthropomorphic Mythical Being continue in the sequence through Phase 7, after which they break down into abbreviated geometric segments in the final two phases of the style. The Anthropomorphic Mythical Being is identified by Townsend (1985: 131) as a masked human dressed in ritual regalia—a “ritual performer.” The archaeological record supports this interpretation up to a certain point. Gold mouth masks and forehead ornaments, Spondylus shell necklaces, and animal-skin headdresses present without context in many museum collections were found in looted Paracas and Nasca tombs. This indicates that these ritual items may have been worn during ceremonies and certainly were an important part of the burial goods, reflecting the status and/or occupation...

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