This article discusses how Andean archaeology affects pothunting in terms of the colonialism of knowledge. To demonstrate this asymmetric relationship, in which a local knowledge contributes to the development of a universal science, the study focuses on the relationship between Candelario Navarro, a huaquero (pothunter) and the archaeologist Julio C. Tello, characters in Canto de sirena (1979), a novel/chronicle of Gregorio Martinez Navarro. The study also addresses how learning archaeological procedures and protocols helped huaqueros enhance their trade skills, which resulted in a cross-border knowledge transfer. However, huaqueros are still subjected to a subordinate position in the global market of archaeological remains.