The Pachacamac Project: Excavations at Pilgrims' Plaza, 2004-05

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With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Izumi Shimada and his team ofspecialists and students will conduct two seasons (2004 and 2005) ofarchaeological fieldwork at the famed pre-Hispanic religious center ofPachacamac just south of the city of Lima on the central coast of Peru.Pachacamac was one of the most revered and durable prehistoricreligious/pilgrimage centers in the Andean region, arguably the Mecca ofthe Americas. Today, along with Macchu Picchu, it is one of the best-knownand oft-visited monuments of Peru. The powerful patron deity of this centerwas much feared even by the mighty Inkas, who often consulted its oracle.Following Spanish conquest of the Andean world and the imposition ofCatholicism, the deity was transformed into the Purple Christ andcontinues today to command the fervent devotion of millions of modernresidents of Lima and surrounding areas. With the participation of archaeologists, botanists, chemist, historian, and zoologist from Germany,Japan, Peru and the U.S., this research aims to clarify the (1) identity,organization, and roles of the residents of this center, and (2) the roleenvironmental conditions played in its remarkable longevity, resilience andpower. To attain the first goal, we will excavate three areas near the baseof the sacred Temple of Pachacamac. The 2003 survey of this area usingground-penetrating radar (GPR) revealed the presence of superimposed remainsof what are thought to have been residences and workshops down to depths of6 to 7 m below surface that were built over the 1500 plus years of nearlycontinuous prehistoric occupation. In 2004, the team will conduct a supplementaryGPR survey to improve understanding of buried architecture. The secondaim will be achieved through analysis of sediment cores to be extracted fromthe two small ponds situated within and just outside of Pachacamac.Composition and relative frequencies of pollens, diatoms, sediments, andanimal and plant remains in the superimposed layers of sediments shouldallow reconstruction of local climate and ecology, including the effects ofdroughts and El Nino events. This research is important for a number ofreasons: It will (1) advance our understanding of the role of ancientreligious centers in social integration and political centralization, (2)refine approaches to understanding their operation and maintenance, and (3)elucidate the relationship between the ebb and flow of religious centers andassociated ideology, on the one hand, and environmental conditions, on theother. The research is also critical in promoting international andinter-disciplinary collaboration, as well as the training of American andforeign students.