This study of the Chincha plain-weave materials in the Max Uhle collection of the University of California has been part of the work of a Senior course in technical analysis. Six members of the class, whose names appear as joint authors, are responsible for the data collected and for the initial organization.

The Material

The Chincha collection, excavated in 1900 by Dr. Max Uhle during the Peruvian expedition financed by Mrs. Phoebe Apperson Hearst, is catalogued under two lot prefixes: 4- and 16-. Specimen numbers with the prefix 4- indicate that the precise provenience as to site and grave is known. The cloths in this lot have been previously analyzed and a preliminary report has been published.[1] The cloths in the 16- lot, as is explained in the report on the pottery,[2] did not identify perfectly with entries in the collector's field catalogue or their identification was dubious.

Six Chincha sites described in Uhle's field catalogue[3] are shown on map 1. The number of cloth specimens representing each of these sites varies from 2 to 52 (table 1). Briefly, the time periods indicated by finds forming the basis of this report are as follows.

Site A (2 specimens). "On the declivities of the valley towards the sea, 5 km. from Tambo de Mora to the north." Late Chincha period.

Site B (3 specimens). La Cumbe cemetery; nearly exhausted; the few graves opened were "ordinary ones." Late Chincha period.

Site C (37 specimens). In "the higher Northern part of the valley." Late Chincha period.

Site D, and "near" site D (52 specimens). "Chamberlike tombs, which had been dug out in a mound-like older huaca." Late Chincha period.

Site E, and "near" site E (20 specimens). "The dry natural terrace ... in front of the ruins of La Centinela." Several graves at this site held European articles. Late Chincha period, in part after the Spanish Conquest.

Site F (2 specimens). "The natural terraces with slopes directed to the sea north of La Cumbe (circa Las Palmas)."[4] Late Chincha period.

Table 1

Basic Table: Sites, Periods, and Number
of Specimens in Study

Most of the fabrics described in the literature on ancient Peruvian textiles are characterized by beauty of coloring or arresting designs or unusual workmanship—sometimes by all three. These all-cotton Chincha specimens have none of the expectable features. First and last they seem to have served utilitarian purposes; for that reason, most of them are comparable to our so-called domestics. The larger ones are probably mantles: the proportions of the largest two-breadth pieces with full dimensions (4-3973d, 59.5 in. by 66 in. and 16-1250, 52 in. by 61 in.) place them in this group; a third specimen (16-1292), also formed of two breadths (intact breadth 35 in. plus fragmentary breadth 28 in.) was probably a mantle 62 inches by 70 inches over all. The smaller specimens suggest scarves (or incomplete mantles), carrying cloths, or kerchiefs (figs. 1, 2).

The fact that many of the Chincha cloths in the 16- lot had apparently been roughly torn to rectangular shapes leads us to believe that the excavator used them to wrap pottery specimens. Indeed, the majority seem to have been used even by their makers as wrappings. A number of them have long loose stitches or hanging cordlike threads, which originally may have held several layers together. Many of the single breadths have traces of seaming stitches on one or both selvages, indicating that the original wrapping was two or three times its preserved width.

A large proportion of the cloths in this group are badly worn and clumsily patched. Two, three, and sometimes more pieces of irregular shape applied to the base material and even on top of a first patch are not infrequent (pl. 3,d). The mended fragments do not appear to be either the original sizes or shapes. Many of them have been reduced to their present rectangular shape by tearing off tattered (?) edges.

One small group of striped textiles in the 16- lot is a noteworthy exception to the majority. Finely striped cottons similar to the one in plate 5,d must certainly have been made for other than utility cloths, probably for garments.

There are four small bags (or pads?) in the Chincha 4- lot. Three of these were formed of small whole cloths sewed together at the sides with running, double running, and whipping stitches respectively. The fourth is made of a piece of an edge-stripe material and has one loomstring end and one side selvage. On this bag the torn edges have been turned in and seamed with a running stitch.

Ties for one of the bags have been made by plaiting in a 4-strand flat braid the elements consisting of the two loomstrings plus an additional 12-ply cord drawn through the corner of the bag to its center point, thus giving two ends. Another of the bags has a draw string formed by a 9-ply cord drawn through the top end with a running stitch.