Doctoral Dissertation Grant: Examining Huari Influence on Peru's Central Coast: Isotopic and Cultural Analyses of Middle Horizon Burials at Ancon

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

Under the supervision of Dr. John Rick, Nicole Slovak will analyze human skeletal remains and funerary objects from the coastal archaeological site of Ancon, Peru. Over the years Ancon has yielded more than 3,000 burials, many of which date to the Andean Middle Horizon (550AD-1000AD), a time period during which states and empires first emerged in the Andes. One such polity, known as the Huari empire, controlled much of the Peruvian highlands, but its influence was far-reaching and extended well beyond the sierra. The site of Ancon traditionally has been included within the Huari sphere of influence, owing to the presence of Huari-style artifacts found at the site. Some envision the site as an important Huari colony populated by migrants from the highlands, though little statistical and spatial data has been published to evaluate these alternatives adequately. A more comprehensive investigation of existing Ancon collections is needed to test hypotheses about Huari influence at Ancon and on Peru's coast more generally. This project will employ strontium, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen isotopic analyses of human bone from Ancon burials, in tandem with analyses of cultural artifacts, to determine degrees of interaction between the coast and the Huari empire. Isotopic techniques have been applied successfully to archaeological samples worldwide to infer prehistoric migration, colonization, trade and diet. The goal of this project is to incorporate both skeletal and cultural data from Ancon to assess whether the presence of Huari style traditions at Ancon is the result of highland migration and possible colonization, or if it is indicative of only cultural influence. Differentiating between migration and cultural diffusion will enable this project to address the significance of these processes within the larger historical context of Huari state formation, and will inform existing scholarship in Andean studies. At a more general level, this study will address how imperial polities interact with peripheral regions, where strategies of political and economic expansion remain uncertain. The broader implications of this project include strengthening collaborative ties between US and Peruvian institutions, as well as making archival/artifactual materials available on-line for research, teaching and public outreach purposes. The proposed study involves collaboration with Peru's museum and archaeological communities, as the materials to be analyzed are stored at the Museo Nacional de Antropologia, Arqueologia, e Historia in Lima. Much of the collection remains unanalyzed and unpublished. One of the goals of this study is to create a digital database of these materials that can be accessed easily by museum professionals, students, and international researchers, as this will aid in the preparation and dissemination of future exhibits and publications.