Ball of cotton (Peru)

Cotton was the main raw material for the different cloths and textiles in different parts of Latin America, including the South-central coast of the Andes. Once the fibres had been selected the women proceeded to spin it with whorls and spindles.

Textile craft in the Andes was a real communicational support essentially linked to the development of a common cultural background. Within this context, the Paracas culture (300 BC.-100 AD.) stood out because of its textile production and tools, such as spindles and whorls. These frequently appear in archaeological records as part of female burial sites and directly in funeral hoards, showing the important identification of Andean women with textile activity, even after death.

Photo, Joaquín Otero Ubeda