| UNWASHED ALLUVIAL CLAY | WASHED ALLUVIAL CLAY | MODERN COARSE WARE | MODERN FINE WARE | |
| Polylithic/Unilithic | Polylithic | Polylithic | Polylithic to Unilithic | Unilithic |
| Major lithologies | Granite, metashales, sandstone | Granite, metashales, sandstone | Granite, metashales, ('slate') | Basalt-andesite |
| Similarity to Cusichaca bed-rock geology | Very high | Very high | High to low (although not local pottery) | None |
| Proportion of altered/weathered rocks | High | High | High | Zero |
| Shape of > 15 µm size fraction | Subrounded to angular | Subrounded to angular | Subrounded to angular | Angular |
| Surface Topography of > 15 µm size fraction | Smooth, flat | Smooth, flat | Smooth, flat | Irregular |
| Internal grain size | Very variable. Coarse to fine | Very variable. Coarse to fine | Very variable. Coarse to fine | Restricted, medium grained |
| 'Grog' | Mud pellets | Mud pellets | Absent | Absent |
| Size Distribution/mean value of Ø | Unimodal. Ø >> 5.0 |
Unimodal. Ø >> 5.25 Size range is restricted. |
Bimodal Temper : clay ration controls relative peak heights |
Unimodal. Ø = 3.6 (temper) |
| Proportion of fine-grained non-plastics in clay | High | High | Low to high | Very low |
| Similarity of >15 µm and < 15 µm non-plastics | Identical | Identical | Identical | Dissimilar <15 µm quartz-rich > 15 µm quartz-free |
| Coherence of Ware-type | Poor | 'High' | Poor | Very high |
| Preparation method | Hand picking of largest clasts | Levigation of clays | Hand picking of clasts from clay. Crushed rock added as temper | Clays cleaned by sieving. Crushed rock added as temper |