We present analyses of post-fire engravings (PFEs), scratched markings made in the surface of ceramic vessels, from the sites of Atalla (800–500 BCE) and Huari (600–1000 CE), Peru. We compare engraved motifs, the vessel forms on which they appear, their placement on vessels, and the contexts in which they were found at Atalla and Huari to other examples mentioned in the Andean and international archaeological literature. These comparisons elucidate both regional and site-level spatial patterns that suggest that these markings constitute intentional visual notations created by the vessel users. Drawing upon the Quechua concept of quillca as “the creation of meaningful markings,” we argue that Andean PFEs are meaning-laden signs whose use was comparable to writing. Our analyses also reveal that PFEs appear most frequently on serving wares, such as bowls and cups, vessel forms that were used in commensal events. Semasiographic writing is particularly useful in multilingual contexts, and we highlight that the archaeological data support a correlation between the use of PFEs and historical moments of increasing intercultural interaction in the pre-Hispanic Andes. We present a case for this alternative form of literacy and suggest that this form of semasiographic writing played a role in multilingual commensal events.

我们展示了对秘鲁阿塔拉（公元前 800-500 年）和瓦里（公元 600-1000 年）遗址的烧后雕刻 (PFE)、陶瓷器皿表面划痕标记的分析。我们将雕刻图案、它们出现的器皿形式、它们在器皿上的位置以及在阿塔拉和瓦里发现它们的背景与安第斯和国际考古文献中提到的其他例子进行了比较。这些比较阐明了区域和站点级别的空间模式，表明这些标记构成了船只用户有意创建的视觉符号。借鉴 quillca 的盖丘亚语概念作为“有意义标记的创造”，我们认为安第斯 PFEs 是充满意义的符号，其使用可与书写相媲美。我们的分析还表明，PFE 最常出现在餐具上，例如碗和杯，用于共事活动的器皿形式。符号文字在多语言环境中特别有用，我们强调考古数据支持 PFE 的使用与前西班牙安第斯山脉跨文化互动增加的历史时刻之间的相关性。我们为这种另类的识字形式提供了一个案例，并表明这种符号书写形式在多语言共生活动中发挥了作用。