Killke and Killke-related pottery from Cuzco, Peru, in the Field Museum of Natural History

by Brian S. Bauer

This paper describes and illustrates an unusually large collection of Killke and Killke-related pottery vessels from the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. As the immediate antecedent to classic Inca pottery, Killke pottery holds a unique and important position in th cultural history of the Cuzco area. An adequate definition of this style is essential for constructing and testing models of early Inca state development. This paper will: 1) provide a summary of previous research on Killke pottery, 2) place the Field Museum collection in historical context, and 3) describe the 17 full-sized Killke and Killke-related vessels, utilizing the typology first suggested by John H. Rowe for early Inca materials from Cuzco.