Nazca Religion

            Nazca religion is based off the idea that man and nature are relate in an active sacred relationship with themes of Animatism and supernatural forces controlling nature and their resources (all they wanted to do was control and understand).  Many theorists believe that this practice came about due to the harsh environment they lived in (a weather average so diverse that they only could give me averages based on longitude and latitude).  These beliefs are so strong that there are religious representations in their beautiful ceramic artwork.  Their artwork incorporated their need for Animatisms and their need to control nature because of supernatural forces inverting need to control nature.   They had mythical beings are made up of representations of air, earth, and water; these beings were the most powerful forces. 

            The ritual taking of the Trophy Heads were an important aspect of Nazca religion.  This is assumed because of how pervasive the trophy heads are in ceramic artwork.  These trophy heads are soon with individuals that are closely linked with mythical beings, and scenes of warfare and rituals.  The bloodshed, decapitation, and group burials are closely linked to agriculture fertility and regeneration.  Examples of this are when the heads are depicted with plants growing from their mouths.  “Nazca people appear to have visualized a continuity between sacrifice and death, the burial of human trophy heads, and the regeneration of agricultural plants. Human trophy heads were not only the most sacred offering made to the nature spirits, but were integral part of their world view". (Donald A. Proulx)   

 

         

References

Proulx, Donald A. 2000, Nasca Ceramic Iconography: An Overview. 29(1):36-43. The Studio Potter. 

Proulx, Donald A. 1999, The Nazca Culture: An Introduction. 59-77. Nasca: Gehimnisvolle Zeichen im Alten Peru. (photo is Figure 15).

Headless Bodies or Bodiless Heads

         

            Nasca trophy heads are fairly common artifacts found in burials; however, headless burials are almost a rarity in the region.  Their lack contrasts against the increase in the amount of trophy heads found of the Middle and Late Nasca, due to the warfare and conflict of the time.  Though archaeologist Deloeonardis believes their absence could be the result of the high percentage of looting in the region, it could also be do to different ways of disposing of the bodies. 

Many partial-body burials have been found buried apart from others or in caches.  These burials consist of skeletons missing a body part, disarticulated skeletons and body parts missing a skeleton.  Though this may explain some of the scarcity of headless bodies found in the Nasca, it does not account for all.  The few headless bodies that have been found have had their heads removed post mortem.  Few headless bodies have found decapitation to be the cause of death. 

Some of these have been found with head-replacement objects such as a ceramic head jar.  Ceramic head jars are fairly common artifacts in Nasca burials, but are seen as a rarity when found with headless burials.  A ceramic head jar is a pottery jar with image of a head and face, sometimes including turbans.  Burials with these ceramic head were purposeful burials, suggesting they were not a result of enemy combat or the warfare of the time.  It is believed that their deaths and decapitated burials could be the result of a sacrifice associated with agriculture fertility or a ritual of the time (Conlee). 

 

Nasca Ceramic Jar Head- commonly found in burials and occasionally found with decapitated skeletons (Conlee).

 

Skeletons as a result of decapitation were found in over have a dozen Neolithic sites in Anatolia.  The decapitated skulls were placed on altars and were believed to have links with the dead and possibly had the powers of the deceased.  Like the Nasca, more decapitated skulls have been found in Anatolia, then headless bodies.  The headless bodies were found in beneath floorboards of houses instead of placed upon altars.  One of these had a large round stone placed at the head of the skeleton suggesting a possible representation of the missing head.  The Nasca headless bodies with ceramic head jars were said to be non-conflict related decapitation, because of the care taken to bury the body.  The same is suggested in Anatolia and the large round stone head-representation (Talalay).

Conlee, Christina A. 2007. Decapitation and Rebirth: A Headless Burial in Nasca, Peru. Department of Anthropology: Texas State University.

Talalay, Lauren E. 2007. Heady Business: Skulls, Heads, and Decapitation in Neolithic Anatolia and Greece.  Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, University of Michigan