Waira-Jirca

An Initial Period phase from the Kotosh site, eastern Andes, central Peru - the earliest ceramic phase, c 1800-1150 BC. The well-made, dark brown pottery with incised geometric designs resembles early jungle pottery from Ucayali and was ancestral to Kotosh-Kotosh and Chavín. Its most widely occurring forms are the neckless jar and the open bowl, although some spouted forms do occur.

An Initial Period phase from the Kotosh site, Peru, during which a distinctive pottery style appeared. Although no pottery occurred in the preceding Mito phase, Waira-jirca pottery appeared as a fully developed style. Typically it is a dark brown polished ware decorated with incised geometric designs; its most widely occurring forms are the neckless jar and the open bowl, although some spouted forms do occur. Origins are uncertain but comparisons with ceramics from Valdivia and Tutishcainyo show sufficient similarities to suggest at least contact and possibly a common genesis.