When I entered the Ancient Americas exhibit during my trip to the Field Museum, I was planning on entering, going through quickly and then doing the same for the rest of the exhibits covered by the class. I thought that maybe I would return if nothing else really caught my eye. As I browsed through the Central American and Mexican stone head charms in the entry display I was impressed, but not enough that I wasn't ready to move on fairly soon. However, at the end of that case was a pot from the Nazca culture of what we now call Peru. (See: Fig 1) It instantly grabbed my attention with its deep, rich paints and the fluid facial patterns that managed to both complement the shape of the vessel while still maintaining an artistic integrity as a stand alone work of art. This simple pot drew me in in a way few artworks modern or primitive, western or non-western, ever have. Throughout the exhibit, I was always hoping to see more, and I was not disappointed.  Through this paper, I hope to document and explain the historical processes that led to this style of earthenware painting and its significance to the Nazca Culture.