Andean handcrafts have a long and rich history. The earliest handcrafts were items that served functions in everyday life. Items such as blankets made from llama wool, and tools made of metals. In the pre-Inca era and during the Inca era, handcrafts were used in the same way, but they were also used to display social statuses.
An example of pre-Incaic settlement that used handcrafts is the settlement around Chavin de Huantar. This settlement was not a place of major handcraft manufacturing, but archeologists have found clues to the types of Andean crafts that were used. Archeologists have found evidence of textile crafting in the discovery of weaving tools made of bone and needles. Evidence of ceramic production was limitless, and was mostly made of materials found nearby. However, it is noteworthy that some of the pottery shards discovered were from “exotic” sites. Places that were far from the settlement. Clearly, the occupants of this settlement knew how to make handcrafts such as textiles and ceramics and had connections with other places.
In addition to this settlement, the southern coast of Peru was made famous for the Nasca craftsmen who made intricate textiles and ceramics of polychrome. Nasca ideology also played a role in their crafts. Ideology of the Nasca revolved around propagation, water, and fertility. The Nasca craftsmen exemplified this in the designs of birds, peppers, and supernatural creatures which embodied these ideologies. When the Nasca were conquered by the Wari, the Wari adopted many of the traditions and ideologies of the Nasca and thus kept the ceramic legacy alive.
These are two examples of the various histories of Andean craftsmanship. The information of the histories alone span many records and accounts. For more information, visit http://www.jstor.org/stable/41053231 for the complete analysis.