Dissertation Research: Continuity and Change at Cerro la Cruz: A Study of Architecture on the North Coast of Peru

University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

Under the direction of Dr. Clark Erickson, Ms. Melissa Vogel will collect and analyze data for her doctoral dissertation. She will conduct archaeological excavations and continue mapping at the site of Cerro la Cruz on the north coast of Peru. Ms. Vogel's research will examine the relationship between architecture and sociopolitical change, through a diachronic analysis of the expansion and modification of Cerro La Cruz, a hillside walled settlement on the north coast of Peru. Supplementary data such as ceramics will provide indicators of cultural affiliation, while botanical remains and soil samples will be analyzed for indications of dietary or environmental changes. These various lines of evidence will be combined to reconstruct the events which occurred at Cerro La Cruz. For the archaeology of the Andes, this project will provide a method for testing and revising current models of sociopolitical organization during the late Middle Horizon (AD600-1000), a time of great social and political change in the region. These periods of cultural transition are important for understanding the development of human societies. From a historic or prehistoric perspective, archaeology can explore the ways in which people have adapted to fluctuating social and political conditions. The built environment is an essential focus of anthropological research, especially for understanding architecture and the use of space as it reflects and shapes social life. Changes in architectural form and style are often taken as indices of societal change. Some styles of household architecture have been shown ethnographically to reference ethnicity or other aspects of community identity, while the enlargement of public buildings or temples may mark the accession of a new ruler. In this project, the relationship between architectural change and social life can be investigated at one site, during a period that is thought to involve widespread social and political upheaval. Rather than the traditional "top-down" approach of examining political relations from the perspective of those in power, this study will emphasize the perspective of local people in their interactions with an outside political entity. A thorough spatial analysis of the expansion and modification of Cerro La Cruz as a possible manifestation of sociopolitical change will provide a critical test of earlier models of Andean political organization. From the perspective of the social sciences, the results of this case study will contribute to our understanding of the catalysts for culture change and how local people adapt during periods of transition. Ms. Vogel's research will increase our knowledge of a poorly understood period in Peruvian prehistory and will also contribute to the training of a promising young scientist.