Consumption or Infrastructure?

Résumé fourni par la source

The idea of “consumption” has attained a certain mainstream status in archaeological theory, but infrastructure remains a largely marginal interest. This reflects the ideological premises of modern capitalism, where it is often said we live in a “consumer society.” It is no less true that we live in an “infrastructural society,” but no one seems to say this. Why have consumer goods captured our imagination in a way that infrastructure has not? How has this tendency shaped, and perhaps distorted, our understanding of ancient societies? In this chapter, these questions are addressed by considering the case of Inca polychrome ceramics, one of the basic material indexes of the Inca State. Unlike Inca highways and storehouses, polychrome ceramics are never considered as a form of infrastructure. Instead, like pottery in general, Inca polychromes are typically interpreted through the lens of consumption. Thus, Inca polychromes are habitually thought about using the same theoretical framework one would apply to more modern containers, like a Starbucks paper cup or Fiji Water bottle. This chapter discusses the advantages and disadvantages of these alternative ways of thinking about Inca ceramics, and concludes an infrastructural lens provides a more appropriate analytic for understanding these ancient Andean vessels.

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