Dissertation Research: Prehispanic Dynamics of Settlement in the Lower Tiwanaku Valley (Bolivia)

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Under the direction of Dr. David Freidel, Mr. Juan Albarracin- Jordan will conduct archaeological research in the Tiwanaku Valley to collect data for his doctoral thesis. For more than a millennium (ca. AD 100-1200), the northern Bolivian site of Tiwanaku was the paramount city of the Lake Titicaca basin which was, in turn, one of the great demographic centers of native Andean civilization. However, despite Tiwanaku's important position in the prehistory of the Andes - it is one of the early centers of state formation - little is known about its economic history and how it rose to prominence, governed an empire, and then declined. Mr. Albarracin-Jordan's research will help fill that gap. One issue of particular concern is how the land, much of which is unfarmed today, was able to support such a large population. What are the crops and the farming strategies which these ancient Andeans employed? Mr. Albarracin-Jordan will focus on this issue. Rather than excavate in the city center, he will study what likely is the richest agricultural area, conduct a systematic survey, make collections of surface materials, and map and excavate selected sites. These data should provide important information on population distribution and landscape use. This research is important for several reasons. It will shed light on a little understood aspect of South American prehistory. The Tiwanaku empire rose quickly and extended its influence rapidly over a wide area. This history is little understood. Secondly, it will increase our understanding of the more general question of how complex societies such as our own arise and are maintained. Finally, it will contribute to the training of an extremely promising young scientist.