https://emuseum.cornell.edu/internal/media/dispatcher/77869/fullReed Boat Effigy Vesselca. 900-1375[]Blackware This Lambayeque burnished blackware vessel is in the shape of a totora reed boat with a man paddling in front, connected by a strap handle to a slightly tapering, narrow spout at the rear of the vessel. The vessel has a pedestal base. The human figure wears a pointed, striped hat and loincloth. The figure is kneeling while paddling, with mouth open and head tilted to one side. The tapered shape of the vessel's spout and the presence of an flaring pedestal base indicates that this vessel is actually Lambayeque rather than Chimu. The Lambayeque or Sican culture flourished on the north coast of Peru after the Moche and just prior to the Chimu, peaking between AD 900 and AD 1100, when they were conquered by the Chimu. People from fishing communities practiced endogamy; that is, they would only marry other people from fishing communities, rather than farmers. People from the coastal fishing communities shared a common trade language that was distinct from the languages spoken by inland people, which made it easier to engage in trade all along the coast, since they were able to communicate with other fishermen who lived far away. The tall, pointed head shape of the figure depicted on this fishing vessel is characteristic of the type of cranial deformation practiced by fishermen along the coast. Head shape was one way people could easily identify a person's group affiliation and origins. Manipulation of head shapes was common throughout Mesoamerica and South America in Pre-Columbian times. Human head shapes may be deformed or changed in infancy, since the skull is relatively soft and when bound or constrained in different ways, different head shapes will result as the child grows. In the United States today, parents often unintentionally change their child's head shape by placing them in car seats, baby carriers, or swings for long periods of time, resulting in heads which are flattened in back. More dramatic departures form "normal" head shapes can be produced by tying or wrapping the baby's head. Common Pre-Columbian head shapes were produced by tightly circling the baby's head with cloths (to produce an annular or tall rounded shape), or by tying boards or other hard objects to the back of the head and/or the forehead (to produce a broad, flat shape). Differences in head shape served to mark geographic origins or group affiliation. In the Andes today, hats are used in a similar way, with each community having characteristic headgear distinct from those worn in neighboring areas. Blackware is a generic term used to describe the dark-colored ceramics fired in a reducing atmosphere, that is, without oxygen. A reducing atmosphere is produced in several different ways, but usually involves smothering the fire just enough to remove excess oxygen while still allowing it to burn hot enough to successfully fire the pottery. Unlike ceramics fired in an oxidizing atmosphere with plenty of oxygen, which may be various shades ranging from creamy buff to orange or red depending on the color of the clays used, ceramics fired in a reducing atmosphere will all be gray or black in color. Burnishing is the process of producing ceramics with a shiny surface without using a glaze. To produce burnished surfaces, potters must wait until the ceramics are nearly dry, and then must rub the surface to align the surface clay particles with a smooth object, usually a round, flat-sided stone. Sometimes only certain areas of a pot or a figure are burnished, since the contrast between glossy burnished surfaces and matte unburnished areas can produce a variety of decorative effects. Maritime Resources The sea has always been important in the economy of coastal Peru. The west coast of South America is one of the richest fisheries in the world thanks to the cold upwelling of nutrient-rich waters known as the Humboldt Current. These cold waters support an abundant population of plankton, which in turn supports large fish populations and those preying on fish, including birds, sea mammals such as sea lions and whales, and human fishermen. Although we usually think of maritime resources as sources of human food, such as fish and shellfish, even the guano or droppings left by seabirds has an important use as fertilizer for crops. Boats Totora reed boats were commonly used for fishing in the Andes all along the coast and even in the inland Lake Titicaca region along the border between Peru and Bolivia. Rafts made from reeds, balsa, or even sealskins formed the base of the fleets of trading vessels which plied the coast from Ecuador to Peru. El Niño/Southern Oscillation Although the rich waters of the Humboldt Current provide roughly 20% of the world's fish in normal years, fish populations are dramatically affected by the changes in water temperatures and weather patterns known as El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. During an El Niño year, the typically cold waters warm up, leading to species changes and catastrophic crashes in sea life. Consequences for those who prey on sea creatures (such as birds and people) can be dire, as their normal source of food vanishes. For people, the reduced level of maritime resources may be offset or worsened by the additional rainfall which typically falls in the coastal desert during an El Niño year. If the rains are light, then the increase in wild and cultivated plant foods may be enough to enable a group to survive without too much stress. However, El Niño can bring devastating rains which wash away land-based resources, leading to widespread destruction and famine. Particularly severe El Niño events have been blamed for destroying several pre-Columbian Peruvian cultures, including the Moche on the north coast and the Chiribaya on the south coast. Suggestions for Further Reading about Sicán/Lambayeque: Lavalle, José Antonio (1989): Lambayeque, Colección Arte y Tesoros del Peru. Banco de Credito del Peru en la Cultura. Lima, Peru. Shimada, Izumi, Ken-ichi Shinoda, Julie Farnum, Robert Corrucini, and Hirokatsu Watanabe (2004): "An integrated analysis of pre-hispanic mortuary practices," in Current Anthropology 45(3): 369-402. Shimada, Izumi and Jo Ann Griffin (2005): "Precious metal objects of the Middle Sicán," in Scientific American Special Edition, Feb2005 Special Edition, Vol. 15 Issue 1, pp. 80-89. com.gallerysystems.emuseum.core.entities.Classification@61https://emuseum.cornell.edu/objects/39777/rdf