During the Middle Horizon (A.D. 600-1000), the expansion of the Wari state was associated with several changes throughout Peru. In Cuzco, the Wari built large settlements and introduced a material culture that was distinct from local traditions. Some archaeologists suggest that interaction between Ayacucho and Cuzco during the Early Intermediate Period (EIP, AD 200-600) facilitated Wari expansion in Cuzco at the beginning of the Middle Horizon. These scholars further argue that this early exchange with Ayacucho is responsible for the emergence of a new pottery style in Cuzco. This new style, Qotakalli, would represent a break from local pottery traditions and show similarities with the EIP pottery from Ayacucho. In this article we present new data on two little-known EIP pottery styles from Cuzco, Ak'awillay and Waru. These two traditions show continuity with earlier and later local ceramic traditions, suggesting that the emergence of new pottery styles in Cuzco during the EIP was the result of indigenous development rather than outside influence. The emergence of new styles coincided with important economic changes in the region that cannot be explained by exchange with people from Ayacucho.