Large vessels for storing and serving maize beer were integral to political feasting in prehistoric Andean civilization. Thought to have been carried from feast to feast, these vessels increased in capacity until Inca times, when their volumes reached nearly 180 liters. Such a weight would have challenged not only the individuals carrying the pots, but also the pots and their engineering/materials. With collaborators from the Engineering School, we are using the dimensions of large prehistoric pots and undertaking a Finite Element Analysis to determine which shape offers the lowest amount of stress to the larger structure. In this way, we can determine whether a vessel that is one meter in diameter, which is the maximum diameter of conical-based Inca pots, and of a certain wall thickness could maintain its structural integrity when filled with liquid. By comparing changes in stresses of different versions of these vessels over time (Huari, Lucre, and Inca), we hope to demonstrate that the dimensions of standardized Inca pots of this shape were engineering achievements that pushed the structural limits of the vessel (minimizing hoop stress when filled with liquid). As a side issue, we are examining the archaeological speculation that the Inca arybalo forms acted as serving vessels by rolling the pots onto their curved sides and pouring the liquid.