Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Economic Change and Continuity during the Initial Period at the Castillo de Huaricanga (Fortaleza Valley, Peru)

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Under the supervision of Dr. R. Alan Covey, Martin Authier will excavate at the Castillo de Huaricanga, a monumental complex of pyramids, platforms, and plazas constructed around 1000 BC in the Fortaleza Valley on the north-central coast of Peru. The excavations will test whether or not elite residences, central storage facilities, and craft production areas were located within the monumental center. Authier will clear loose surface debris from three large areas of the monumental complex in order to record the architectural configuration, and then excavate two rooms in each area to determine the function of the spaces based on architectural features and the associated artifact assemblage. This research is important because it will broaden the understanding of the early complex societies on the coast of Peru, and it will contribute to the science of anthropology by expanding on cultural evolutionary theory, focusing on small-scale changes within emergent complex societies. Excavations at the Castillo de Huaricanga will add to the understanding of variability in monumental centers along the Peruvian coast during the Initial Period. The research will focus on the complex interplay between local tradition and interregional interaction in the elites' management and maintenance of an economic power base. The investigations will also offer a rare look at change and continuity between the Late Archaic (~3000 BC-1800 BC) and the Initial Period (~800 BC - 900 BC) because the Castillo de Huaricanga is located near a Late Archaic monumental complex that has been excavated in recent years. Moreover, the research will contribute to the anthropological understanding of emergent complex societies. Anthropological theory of cultural evolution has been moving beyond the taxonomic issues toward the recognition of great variability in early complex societies and the importance of individual agents in small-scale changes. The archaeological study of the Castillo de Huaricanga will test how elites maintain their economic power base though small changes based on the larger regional changes that affect them. The broader impacts of the research include academic collaboration with Peruvian archaeologists, the advancement of education, and community involvement in developing tourism and managing the cultural resources. Close collaboration with a Peruvian co-director will help advance academic dialogue between scholars in Peru and the U.S. The research will also involve Peruvian and American students in both the excavation and laboratory analysis, which will give the hands-on training and experience that are essential for education in archaeology. Finally, the local community of Huaricanga will be involved in the investigation of their rich cultural patrimony. In addition to employing experienced local workers, the project will involve the whole community by giving site tours, public talks, and working with local archaeologists who are working to establish a small museum in the community. It is essential that archaeologists work with the community to protect the invaluable cultural heritage. By demonstrating the value of the cultural resources in the area, the researchers will protect the site from future damage from looters, farmers, and pastoralists who have damaged the site in the past.