Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Archaeology of the Norte Chico Site

在Jonathan Haas博士的指导下，Matthew Piscitelli将在秘鲁Fortaleza山谷的Huaricanga遗址挖掘一系列古代晚期（公元前3000 - 1800年）的小型寺庙，以探索秘鲁海岸不断发展的复杂政治中宗教习俗的变化。对古代宗教的研究对考古学家提出了独特的挑战。在没有文字的情况下，宗教思想往往只是间接和象征性地表达出来。宗教的那些间接和象征性的表现也很难，甚至不可能准确地解释。然而，在南美洲安第斯地区最早出现的复杂社会中，与宗教有关的仪式行为广泛地表现在两种截然不同的建筑综合体中：纪念性的公共平台土墩和相关的圆形庭院，以及规模小得多的私人寺庙综合体。在古代晚期，第一批定居的农业社区沿着秘鲁中北部海岸发展起来，那里的居民建造了新大陆最早的纪念性建筑。此外，最近在华里甘加的初步发掘表明，存在着规模小得多的寺庙结构，与安第斯高原上一种特殊的仪式建筑有许多相似之处，这种建筑被称为水户寺庙。在海岸上建一座水户寺庙，将挑战人们对水户传统及其相关仪式长达40年的理解。Piscitelli先生将运用花粉分析、微形态学和x射线荧光等创新技术来重建古代的仪式。此外，该项目全面的放射性碳定年计划将在华里干加地区的时间背景下定位这些小型寺庙。这项研究将通过观察海岸上可能的水户神庙的性质和年代，阐明古代晚期秘鲁沿海和高地之间的文化联系。这样的比较将在史前安第斯山脉的背景下，在区域范围内探索古代社会互动的一个实例。从田野调查中收集的数据也将增强对大型平台土墩和下沉圆形庭院之外的仪式活动的理解，这些活动之前引起了很多关注。此外，本研究将测试关于新兴复杂政策中社会不平等发展的模型。通过更好地了解仪式实践，我们可以研究早期领导人如何通过仪式表演来协商社会环境，因此，我们可以开发有关宗教和社会的理论模型。该项目将对华里甘加周边社区产生积极影响。小组成员将向该镇分发书面信息，例如用西班牙语出版的站点地图和年度报告。该项目预计将为当地社区创造就业机会，因为将雇用工人协助挖掘和初步处理文物。“社区”日和学校参观将激发人们对当地文化遗产的兴趣，并提高对秘鲁当代问题的认识，如抢劫等。该项目还将延续秘鲁和美国学者之间强有力合作的传统。此外，项目成员和合作者也将获得论文和发表的机会，而研究将使Piscitelli先生能够满足他的博士论文的要求。

Under the guidance of Dr. Jonathan Haas, Matthew Piscitelli will excavate a series of small-scale temples at the Late Archaic (3,000-1,800 B.C.) site of Huaricanga in the Fortaleza Valley, Peru to explore variation in religious practices in the evolving complex polities on the Peruvian coast. The study of ancient religions presents unique challenges to the archaeologist. In the absence of writing, religious ideas tend to be expressed only indirectly and symbolically. Those indirect and symbolic manifestations of religion can also be difficult, even impossible to accurately interpret. However, in the emergence of the earliest complex societies in Andean South America, the ceremonial behavior associated with religion is broadly manifested in two very different architectural complexes: monumental, public platform mounds and associated circular courts and much smaller scale, private temple complexes. During the Late Archaic Period, the first sedentary agricultural communities developed along the north central coast of Peru, where inhabitants constructed the earliest monumental architecture in the New World. In addition, recent preliminary excavations at Huaricanga suggest the presence of much smaller scale temple structures that bear many similarities to a particular type of ceremonial architecture found exclusively in the Andean highlands known as Mito temples. The presence of a Mito temple on the coast would challenge a 40-year-old understanding of the Mito Tradition and its associated rituals. Mr. Piscitelli will apply innovative techniques such as pollen analysis, micromorphology, and X-Ray Fluorescence to reconstruct ancient ritual practices. Furthermore, this project's thorough radiocarbon dating program will situate these small-scale temples at Huaricanga within a regional chronological context. This research will clarify cultural connections between coastal and highland Peru during the Late Archaic Period by looking at the nature and chronology of possible Mito temples on the coast. Such comparisons will explore an instance of ancient social interaction on a regional scale within the context of the prehistoric Andes. The data collected from this fieldwork will also enhance understanding of ceremonial activities beyond the large platform mounds and sunken circular courts that have previously garnered much attention. In addition, this research will test models concerning the development of social inequality within emergent complex polities. Through a better understanding of ritual practices we can investigate how early leaders negotiated the social milieu through ritual performance and, as a result, we can develop theoretical models relating religion and society. The project will have a positive impact on the community surrounding Huaricanga. Team members will distribute written information to the town such as site maps and annual reports published in Spanish. The project is expected to yield employment opportunities for the local community since workmen will be hired to assist in excavation and the initial processing of artifacts. "Community" days at the site and school tours will stimulate interest in the local cultural heritage and raise awareness about contemporary issues that are particularly salient in Peru such as looting. The project will also continue the tradition of strong collaboration between Peruvian and American scholars. In addition, thesis and publication opportunities will also be available to project members and collaborators while the research will allow Mr. Piscitelli to fulfill the requirements of his Ph.D. dissertation.