The Cyclic Rise and Fall of Complex Societies

Texas State University - San Marcos, San Marcos TX

Investigators

Abstract

Dr. Christina Conlee (Texas State University) and Dr. Corina Kellner (Northern Arizona University), along with an international team of researchers will examine the rise and fall of ancient civilizations to provide insight into how societies gain power and expand, how less powerful groups adapt and resist, and what stressors lead to a society's transformation and collapse. The project, which will be conducted in the desert of Peru, aims to obtain important comparative data on these topics. Archaeology is unique in its ability to provide a long-term view of these processes and helps in understanding the resilience and frailty of ancient and modern societies. In terms of broader scientific impacts, students will be supported and trained in both archaeological field and lab methods to further their careers in archaeological and other scientific endeavors. Cultural outreach is aimed at including the local community so they remain invested in preserving archaeological sites in the area. The results of this project will be made available to scholars and the general public through a digital repository at Texas State University, and through presentations and written articles. The goal of the research team is to study the expansion of empires, the process of colonization, and how provincial people resist imperial control. The team will also explore the complex processes involved in the collapse of societies, and the impact of social, political, and environmental factors. The Wari (AD 650-1000) were the first empire in South America, and radically changed the known world in the Andes. The investigators will research the highland Wari's relationship with the coastal province of Nasca, including the dynamics between them that aided the expansion of Wari, resulted in the conquest and transformation of Nasca society, and ultimately led to the collapse of both. The investigations will focus on Huaca del Loro, the largest, and best preserved site of this time period in Nasca. Excavations in residential, ceremonial, and burial areas will be conducted along with several types of analyses of the archaeological and human remains. The project will examine what type of site was Huaca del Loro. Was it a local settlement, a Wari colony, or a site of local resistance against the empire? The research will also address how and why the settlement was abandoned and the implications this has for local and imperial collapse. Varied and innovative techniques and technologies will be used and include stable isotope analysis to determine the geographic origin and diet of people buried at the site, Structure from Motion that involves creating high resolution 3-D images of the site and excavations, and compositional analysis of various artifacts to understand trade and manufacture of various goods. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.