Module 7: Culture shapes nature/Nature shapes culture

The message
Cultures have shaped nature—and nature has shaped cultures—for millennia.

The experience
Pottery in rich earth tones is clustered in two groups. Stylized nuts, sprouting beans, and schools of anchovies circle pots in the first group. In the second group, a fierce figure—likely a war deity—dominates the pots. Dramatic lighting heightens the contrasting styles.

The story
The Nazca of Peru produced all of the pottery, reflecting a major shift in the culture’s relationship with nature. The first group of earlier pottery reflects a time of plenty, when the Nazca managed abundant natural resources. The second set shows the aftermath of drought, El Niño effects, and increasing conflict with the Wari—successful invaders, in large part due to their highly efficient use of water.

These objects are linked to Ryan Williams’ research on ancient irrigation systems. His findings inform efforts by Peruvian agriculture officials to reconstruct the highly efficient Wari terrace canal systems.