Nazca Pottery

Historians have divided Nazca pottery into eight periods consisting of Nazca 1, Nazca 2, Nazca 3, Nazca 4, Nazca 5, Nazca 6, Nazca 7 and Nazca 8. Nazca 1 started in 200BC. In this time period, Pottery consisted of a mythical collection of art from the Paraca culture (700BC). However the Nazca introduced realistic items such as animals, fruits and people. In Nazca 2, 3 and 4 or the monumental periods, the idea of realism was much more important. The pottery from these periods had consistent images of realism against a white or red background. Nazca 5 consists of body less images of both demons and humans with a filled in background. In Nazca 6 and Nazca 7 pottery returns to earlier styles however they now hold militaristic aspects and portraits of important members of the society. Nazca 8 introduced a new concept of portraying fully disembodied figures and many different icons which we do not know a lot about. The styles generally used by the Nazca people in there pottery showed animals and plants that they probably used and or saw daily. These include: cacti, seeds, flowers, fish, sharks, snakes, hummingbirds, whales and sea birds. Nazca pottery hide many clues to there mystifying culture and past.