Contisuyo Archaeological Lab School in Peru

Location: Moquegua, MO, PE

Season: June 25, 2023 to August 5, 2023

Session Dates: June 25 - August 5, 2023

Application Deadline: December 1, 2022

Deadline Type: Exact Date

Website: https://studyabroad.uncg.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=10585

Program Type:
Field School

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Project Director:
Dr. Donna Nash and Dr. Emily Schach

Project Description:

Students will receive a total of 6 credits for two courses: ATY 479: Analysis of Archaeological Data (3 credits) and ATY 453: Human Osteology (3 credits). These classes are significant for graduates with an anthropology or archaeology degree that wish to work in Cultural Resource Management or attend graduate school to study archaeology or forensics. Students who do not take such courses will not be competitive in the work place or in the application process to graduate school. Since such experiences are vital to an archaeological career, ATY 479 may be repeated for credit.

Students will participate in laboratory analyses targeted to answer significant anthropological questions. We will be examining materials recovered during a rescue project by professional Peruvian archaeologists. Sadly, they were not allotted the resources to study this large, amazing collection. This research will answer a number of important questions regarding the transitions that took place when Wari and Tiwanaku withdrew from the valley (ca. AD 1000) and later when the Inka conquered the region (ca. AD 1450).

The research associated with ATY 479 will help us to understand changes that took place with regards to the economy (production and exchange) and shifts in religious beliefs and ritual practice (through the styles of artifacts and types of grave inclusions) that took place between (AD 600-1550). Students will gain hands on experience examining pottery, stone tools, animal bones, and other types of artifacts. They will also learn to document archaeological materials through illustrations, photographs, and measurements.

During the ATY 453: Human Osteology portion of the field school, students will learn to identify whole and fragmentary human bones and learn features important to understanding the morphology and structure of skeletal elements. This knowledge will be developed through hands-on experience with an archaeological skeletal collection primarily dating to the Late Intermediate Period and Late Horizon. During osteology laboratory, students will learn and review skeletal elements, while cleaning bones and assisting TAs in skeletal analyses. Students will also have the opportunity to learn how to develop a biological profile based on skeletal remains, focusing on sex determination, age-at-death estimation, and markers of paleopathology.

 

Period(s) of Occupation: Middle Horizon, Late Intermediate Period, Late Horizon

Notes:
Program Specific Study Abroad Fee is $4,200.00 Program cost includes: cost of instruction by UNCG faculty, room, board, local transportation, and excursions. Program cost does NOT include: airfare (approx. $1,200) and spending money (approx. $400). The amounts provided for these categories are estimates. Refund Policy Standards of Conduct: Students may be removed from a faculty-led education abroad program for failing to abide by the University’s policies or procedures, or other program-specific guidelines or protocols, including, but not limited to, engaging in behavior that may be disruptive or dangerous for other program participants. In these circumstances, the student will be sent home at their own expense and will not receive a refund of fees or expenses. Program Changes: UNCG reserves the right to cancel or alter the program format or to change costs in case of conditions beyond its control. Short-term faculty-led study abroad programs are subject to modification or cancellation because of natural disasters, political instability, insufficient participation, or other causes. If one of these situations occurs, students may not have any fees or expenses refunded; however, IPC and the sponsoring Department will work in good faith to refund any recoverable costs should the program be canceled. Program fees and charges are based on current airfares, lodging rates, and travel costs, which are subject to change and students are responsible for these differences. If a student willingly leaves a program for any reason, there will be no refund of fees paid or expenses incurred. All program directors and participants are REQUIRED to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to departure in order to participate in faculty-led study abroad programs. UNCG reserves the right to cancel or alter the program format, or to change costs in case of conditions beyond its control.

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: Full Session

Experience Required: Prospective program applicants must have an overall GPA of 2.8 with at least one previous course in anthropology or archaeology. Students should be in good health and have sufficient physical condition to walk daily for 30 minutes with a day pack. Students will be walking in Moquegua to various laboratories and have weekly field trips that including hiking. Spanish skills are preferred, but not required. A limited number of scholarships are available for this program.

Room and Board Arrangements:
Students will stay in a rented house, which will include a lab area. Housing will be located within a 15-minute walk of the museum (Museo Contisuyo) and the Ministry of Culture, (where some classes are to be held) and downtown restaurants where meals will be offered. Students will walk from the field house to Museo Contisuyo or restaurants for meals.  Breakfast is served family style at the field house and dinner will be eaten at restaurants in Moquegua. The field house will include an archaeological laboratory and living quarters. Students will live dormitory style with 2 to 3 people per room and a shared bath.  Cost: Housing costs and all but 2 meals a week are covered by tuition costs.

Academic Credit:
Students will receive a total of 6 credits for two courses: ATY 479: Analysis of Archaeological Data (3 credits) and ATY 453: Human Osteology (3 credits). These classes are significant for graduates with an anthropology or archaeology degree that wish to work in Cultural Resource Management or attend graduate school to study archaeology or forensics. Students who do not take such courses will not be competitive in the work place or in the application process to graduate school. Since such experiences are vital to an archaeological career, ATY 479 may be repeated for credit. Students will participate in laboratory analyses targeted to answer significant anthropological questions. We will be examining materials recovered during a rescue project by professional Peruvian archaeologists. Sadly, they were not allotted the resources to study this large, amazing collection. This research will answer a number of important questions regarding the transitions that took place when Wari and Tiwanaku withdrew from the valley (ca. AD 1000) and later when the Inka conquered the region (ca. AD 1450). The research associated with ATY 479 will help us to understand changes that took place with regards to the economy (production and exchange) and shifts in religious beliefs and ritual practice (through the styles of artifacts and types of grave inclusions) that took place between (AD 600-1550). Students will gain hands on experience examining pottery, stone tools, animal bones, and other types of artifacts. They will also learn to document archaeological materials through illustrations, photographs, and measurements. During the ATY 453: Human Osteology portion of the field school, students will learn to identify whole and fragmentary human bones and learn features important to understanding the morphology and structure of skeletal elements. This knowledge will be developed through hands-on experience with an archaeological skeletal collection primarily dating to the Late Intermediate Period and Late Horizon. During osteology laboratory, students will learn and review skeletal elements, while cleaning bones and assisting TAs in skeletal analyses. Students will also have the opportunity to learn how to develop a biological profile based on skeletal remains, focusing on sex determination, age-at-death estimation, and markers of paleopathology.