Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: A Domestic Perspective on Wari State Expansion

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Under the guidance of Dr. R. Alan Covey, Maeve Skidmore will excavate remains of prehistoric houses from the archaeological site of Hatun Cotuyoc in Peru and analyze material culture recovered from them. The site and its surrounding region came under the influence of the 'Wari' one of the first Andean 'empires' and this research examines the ways in which households were integrated into this larger entity. The study of household integration into larger political schemes is important for understanding the scope and limits of both state-level and individual-based power. The research will contribute to global archaeological perspectives on the development of early states, but it also has relevance to today's world, in which political regimes unable to integrate populations become frail. Understanding how people with diverse identities and agendas chose to participate in or remain outside of state institutions and social practices provides insight on the mechanisms that bind groups together, as well as the ones that set them apart. Skidmore's research will acquire data on activities carried out in households, consumption patterns of residents, and the affinity of domestic material culture and practices to those known from other Wari settlements. Information on how these patterns changed over time will be used to evaluate three hypotheses regarding the consolidation of Wari state power in the region. These include scenarios in which household integration into state systems was maintained through time, diminished with the weakening of ties to the state, or occurred only ephemerally and relatively late in the course of state development. In addition to supporting training for Skidmore, this project will work to build collaborative relationships between archaeologists from the United States and Peru. It will provide training opportunities for archaeology students from universities in Lima and Cusco. The work will also benefit people in the Huaro community, as the project will offer employment to individuals who have limited economic opportunities. While conducting research in the field, archaeologists will help to teach community members about archaeological research, how it differs from looting, and the importance of protecting cultural patrimony. This will especially be directed at school-aged children, who will be invited to visit excavations and learn about archaeology, but will reach others through periodic presentations made to the community. Results of research will be published in English and Spanish language journals and presented at professional conferences in the United States and Peru.