Parker VanValkenburgh | Brown University (original) (raw)

Books by Parker VanValkenburgh

Research paper thumbnail of Arqueología Histórica en El Perú

Boletin de Arqueología PUCP, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Territoriality in Archaeology

Archaeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association, 2013

Papers by Parker VanValkenburgh

Research paper thumbnail of Rethinking cultural hybridity and technology transfer: SEM microstructural analysis of lead glazed ceramics from early colonial Peru

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Sherds on the Edge: Characterization of 16th Century Colonial Spanish Pottery Recovered from the Solomon Islands

Archaeometry, 2015

We present the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis of ceramics recovered from the... more We present the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis of ceramics recovered from the Solomon Islands, associated with Alvaro de Mendaña y Neira's 16th century colonizing expedition to the region (c.1595–6). Based on the chemical and typological data and previously published petrological and geochronological research, this study assigns the provenance of the ceramics variously to Peru, Panama, Spain, China and Thailand. A comparison of the provenance results with historical records related to Mendaña's voyage also shows the value of the archaeological assemblage in providing a detailed picture of provisioned ceramic types and their provenance.

Research paper thumbnail of Identifying New World majolica from 16th–18th Century sites on Peru's north coast

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2018

This study presents the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), laser ablatio... more This study presents the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and thin-section analysis of 74 majolica sherds from 16th-18th Century sites in the Zaña Valley and Magdalena de Cao Viejo, Peru, and Panama Viejo, Panama. The majority of majolica samples from Peru are chemically associated with Panamanian reference groups, indicating their production in Panama; however, the remainder appears to be Andean-made, based on their distinct chemical signatures. These latter vessels seem to have been produced in Peru and build upon our understanding of colonial majolica manufacture in South America. Furthermore, the presence of blue-series decoration makes important contributions to our understanding of the Andean sphere of loza production.

Research paper thumbnail of Linking Past and Present Land-Use Histories in Southern Amazonas, Peru

Remote. Sens., 2021

This paper analyzes remotely sensed data sources to evaluate land-use history within the Peruvian... more This paper analyzes remotely sensed data sources to evaluate land-use history within the Peruvian department of Amazonas and demonstrates the utility of comparing present and past land-use patterns using continuous datasets, as a complement to the often dispersed and discrete data produced by archaeological and paleoecological field studies. We characterize the distribution of ancient (ca. AD 1–1550) terracing based on data drawn from high-resolution satellite imagery and compare it to patterns of deforestation between 2001 and 2019, based on time-series Landsat data. We find that the patterns reflected in these two datasets are statistically different, indicating a distinctive shift in land-use, which we link to the history of Inka and Spanish colonialism and Indigenous depopulation in the 15th through 17th centuries AD as well as the growth of road infrastructure and economic change in the recent past. While there is a statistically significant relationship between areas of ancien...

Research paper thumbnail of Mountain science poised to help ecotourism in Peruvian cloud forests

Past Global Changes Magazine, Apr 1, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Interregional Archaeology in the Age of Big Data: Building Online Collaborative Platforms for Virtual Survey in the Andes

Journal of Field Archaeology

Archaeologists study many phenomena that scale beyond even our most geographically expansive fiel... more Archaeologists study many phenomena that scale beyond even our most geographically expansive field methodologies. The promise of collecting archaeologically relevant data beyond the scale of regional surveys is among the most exciting prospects of the "data revolution." Yet previous efforts have either struggled to generate high-quality data within expansive regions or to use well-edited interregional datasets to address novel research questions. We discuss the development of two collaborative research projects that seek to address these problems-GeoPACHA (Geospatial Platform for Andean Culture, History and Archaeology) and LOGAR (Linked Open Gazetteer of the Andean Region). The former is an online platform facilitating virtual archaeological survey of satellite and historical aerial imagery; the latter collates primary source information on Andean places. We illustrate the potential of both tools through presentation and analysis of a comprehensive basemap of the planned colonial towns built during a mass resettlement program instituted in the viceroyalty of Peru in the 1570s C.E.

Research paper thumbnail of Big Archaeology: Horizons and Blindspots

Journal of Field Archaeology

Big data have arrived in archaeology, in the form of both large-scale datasets themselves and in ... more Big data have arrived in archaeology, in the form of both large-scale datasets themselves and in the analytics and approaches of data science. Aerial data collected from satellite-, airborne-and UAVmounted sensors have been particularly transformational, allowing us to capture more sites and features, over larger areas, at greater resolution, and in formerly inaccessible landscapes. However, these new means of collecting, processing, and visualizing datasets also present fresh challenges for archaeologists. What kinds of questions are these methods suited to answer, and where do they fall short? How do they articulate with the work of collecting smaller scale and lower resolution data? How are our relationships with "local" communities impacted by working at the scales of entire provinces, nation-states, and continents? This themed issue seeks to foster a conversation about how the unprecedented expansion of archaeological site detection, the globalization of archaeological data structures and databases, and the use of high-resolution aerial datasets are changing both the way archaeologists envision the past and the way we work in the present. In our introduction to the issue, presented here, we outline a series of conceptual and ethical issues posed by big data approaches in archaeology and provide an overview of how the nine essays that comprise this volume each address them.

Research paper thumbnail of Palaeodiet inferred from pre‐Hispanic and early colonial human remains from Carrizales, Zaña Valley, Peru

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology

Research paper thumbnail of International Pots of Mystery: Using PXRF spectroscopy to identify the provenance of botijas from 16th Century sites on Peru's north coast

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

This study presents the results of visual and portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) analyses of boti... more This study presents the results of visual and portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) analyses of botijas/olive jars from the 16th Century sites of San Miguel de Piura and Carrizales, north coast Peru. Although visual analysis generally enabled the discrimination of Spanish- from New World-made sherds, PXRF analyses permitted further provenance determinations to specific regions and countries of origin. The results show that botijas from these sites variously derive from Spain, Panama and South America, with only Spanish sherds present at the church contexts under study in San Miguel de Piura. At Carrizales, Spanish botijas are abundant across church and domestic associated spaces, with only slightly higher concentrations recovered from church-affiliated contexts, and Panamanian and South American sherds also present. These results suggest that numerous economic, socio-religious and political factors were at play in the use and potential re-use of botijas at these sites. First 50 days free download link: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Zfr0,rVDBRdhZ

Research paper thumbnail of Lasers Without Lost Cities: Using Drone Lidar to Capture Architectural Complexity at Kuelap, Amazonas, Peru

Journal of Field Archaeology, 2020

We report the results of drone lidar survey at a high-elevation archaeological site in the Chacha... more We report the results of drone lidar survey at a high-elevation archaeological site in the Chachapoyas region of Peruvian Amazonia. Unlike traditional airborne remote sensing, drone lidar produces very high-density measurements at a wide range of scan angles by operating at low altitudes and slow flight speeds. These measurements can resolve near vertical surfaces and novel dimensions of variability in architectural datasets. We show in a case study at Kuelap that the number of detected structures almost exactly matches the number reported from previous ground level surveys, and we use these data to quantify the relative circularity and size frequency distribution of architectural structures. We demonstrate variability in domestic architecture that was obscured in previous models produced using low-resolution remote sensing. Spatial analysis of these attributes produces new hypotheses about the site's construction history and social organization.

Research paper thumbnail of Big Archaeology: Horizons and Blindspots (open access at doi.org/10.1080/00934690.2020.1714307)

Journal of Field Archaeology, 2020

Big data have arrived in archaeology, in the form of both large-scale datasets themselves and in ... more Big data have arrived in archaeology, in the form of both large-scale datasets themselves and in the analytics and approaches of data science. Aerial data collected from satellite-, airborne- and UAV-mounted sensors have been particularly transformational, allowing us to capture more sites and features, over larger areas, at greater resolution, and in formerly inaccessible landscapes. However, these new means of collecting, processing, and visualizing datasets also present fresh challenges for archaeologists. What kinds of questions are these methods suited to answer, and where do they fall short? How do they articulate with the work of collecting smaller scale and lower resolution data? How are our relationships with “local” communities impacted by working at the scales of entire provinces, nation-states, and continents? This themed issue seeks to foster a conversation about how the unprecedented expansion of archaeological site detection, the globalization of archaeological data structures and databases, and the use of high-resolution aerial datasets are changing both the way archaeologists envision the past and the way we work in the present. In our introduction to the issue, presented here, we outline a series of conceptual and ethical issues posed by big data approaches in archaeology and provide an overview of how the nine essays that comprise this volume each address them.

Research paper thumbnail of PALEODIET INFERRED FROM PREHISPANIC AND EARLY COLONIAL HUMAN REMAINS FROM CARRIZALES, ZAÑA VALLEY, PERU

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2019

This study utilizes multi-isotopic analysis to reconstruct diet and source-water consumption from... more This study utilizes multi-isotopic analysis to reconstruct diet and source-water consumption from human remains collected at Carrizales, in the Zaña Valley of northern coastal Peru. Carrizales is a multi-component site that encompasses the remains of 1) Early Intermediate Period (200-800 CE) cemeteries (Conjuntos 126 and 127); 2) Late Sicán / Lambayeque period (ca. 1100-1350 CE) domestic occupations (Conjuntos 125, 128 and 131); and 3) a planned town (reducción) into which indigenous people were resettled under Spanish rule, circa 1572 CE (Conjunto 123). Faunal and botanical assemblages at the site differ significantly between the Late Sicán/Lambayeque and early colonial phases, suggesting a distinct shift in local subsistence regimes following Spanish colonization and resettlement.
Human remains were collected from Carrizales for the characterization of dietary isotopes and further examination of the impacts of Spanish colonialism on native foodways. Carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope values were characterized in the enamel carbonate, bone carbonate, and bone collagen of individuals associated with Early Intermediate Period contexts (N=4) and the late 16th century chapel within the site’s reducción (N=21). Over half of the study sample failed to produce viable bone collagen, an issue that is common in bioarchaeological samples from the north coast of Peru. However, among those with viable bone collagen and carbonate, there were minimal differences in δ13C, δ18O, and δ15N values between the two phases. This extends to values in enamel carbonate, which is highly resistant to diagenesis. Therefore, patterns in isotope values do not mirror the significant differences manifest in food remains from Carrizales. We suggest that (1) the diets of Early Intermediate Period individuals and Early Colonial period individuals buried at the site were quite similar, contrasting with the patterns indicated by Late Intermediate Period food remains; and (2) both populations obtained water from similar sources – a pattern that reinforces the characterization of reducción in the Zaña valley as a relatively local phenomenon in which nearby populations were concentrated into planned towns, rather than drawn from distant valleys.

Research paper thumbnail of The Past Present and Future of Transconquest Archaeology in the Andes

International Journal of Historical Archaeology, 2019

I reflect on how the series of essays in this themed issue map out an emerging orientation in And... more I reflect on how the series of essays in this themed issue map out an emerging orientation in Andeanist archaeology, the transconquest perspective. Growing out of scholars' engagements with the local dimensions of Inka and Spanish rule and the methodological and ontological divides that distinguish "history" and "prehistory," the transconquest perspective attends to the affective connections that constitute polities and shape imperial transitions. I discuss its development, consider the ways in which these articles manifest it, and suggest two directions in which the transconquest perspective is pointing Andeanist and other historical archaeologies.

Research paper thumbnail of Inside the Reducción: Crafting Colonial Foodways at Carrizales and Mocupe Viejo, Zaña Valley, Peru (1570–1700)

International Journal of Historical Archaeology, 2019

This study explores the politics of indigenous foodways in early colonial Peru, examining the pro... more This study explores the politics of indigenous foodways in early colonial Peru, examining the processes by which indigenous households adapted to demographic stress, resettlement, and evangelization in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries CE.We examine faunal and botanical data from two planned towns (reducciones) located in Peru’s Zaña Valley—Carrizales and Mocupe Viejo. Inter- and intra-site comparison of food procurement and diet reveal different strategies and timing in the ways that Eurasian products were incorporated into native foodways, suggesting that while Old World animal domesticates were rapidly integrated into the indigenous diet, plant domesticates tied to the Iberian palate were not as readily adopted.

Research paper thumbnail of Mobilization as Mediation Implementing a Tablet-Based Recording System for Ceramic Classification

Advances in Archaeological Practice, 2018

Since 2010, dozens of archaeological projects have adopted mobile digital devices for recording a... more Since 2010, dozens of archaeological projects have adopted mobile digital devices for recording and managing field data. Mobile platforms promise a series of mechanical advantages over paper forms, including the possibility of accelerating the speed of data collection, enhancing data richness, and monitoring work in real time when tablets are synced to on-site servers. Published evaluations of the use of mobile devices in archaeology suggest that they are delivering on these promises, and it is likely that the number of projects employing mobile devices will continue to increase (e.g., Austin 2014; Averett et al. ABSTRACT In this essay, we examine the potentials and challenges of mobile computing for a core activity of archaeological laboratory research—the typological analysis of ceramics. We discuss the collaborative development, implementation, and evaluation of the PAZC Ceramics module in the FAIMS Mobile platform. Our deployment of the module yielded significant improvements in the efficiency of data collection, as well as reduced numbers of missing fields and higher user satisfaction scores. However, it did not improve data consistency between users and yielded a classificatory system that was somewhat more challenging to update than our previous mode of operation. These results underscore some of the trade-offs that may be entailed in employing mobile technologies for archaeological applications and highlight the ways in which specific media configurations impact the production of archaeological knowledge.

Research paper thumbnail of Caracterización química de cerámica colonial temprana en el sitio de Carrizales, Lambayeque, Perú

Research paper thumbnail of Identifying New World majolica from 16th–18th Century sites on Peru's north coast

This study presents the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), laser ablatio... more This study presents the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and thin-section analysis of 74 majolica sherds from 16th–18th Century sites in the Zaña Valley and Magdalena de Cao Viejo, Peru, and Panama Viejo, Panama. The majority of majolica samples from Peru are chemically associated with Panamanian reference groups, indicating their production in Panama; however, the remainder appears to be Andean-made, based on their distinct chemical signatures. These latter vessels seem to have been produced in Peru and build upon our understanding of colonial majolica manufacture in South America. Furthermore, the presence of blue-series decoration makes important contributions to our understanding of the Andean sphere of loza production.

Research paper thumbnail of Produciendo Chérrepe: reducción, etnia y performance en los valles de Zaña y Chamán, siglos XVI y XVII

Boletin de Arqueología PUCP, 2016

Resumen Desde inicios del siglo XX, los arqueólogos andinistas hemos hecho uso frecuente de las f... more Resumen Desde inicios del siglo XX, los arqueólogos andinistas hemos hecho uso frecuente de las fuentes etnohistóricas y etnográficas para añadir detalles narrativos, estructurales y procesuales a nuestras descripciones del pasado. Sin embargo, no hemos prestado suficiente atención a las relaciones semióticas entre textos, sitios y artefactos arqueológicos, es decir, los modos en que estos dos medios reflejan y construyen a la realidad de maneras distintas. En este ensayo, examino los paisajes y lugares que surgieron a través del reasentamiento forzado en los valles de Zaña y Chamán, en la región Costa Norte del Perú, a fines del siglo XVI d.C. Al hacerlo, presento varias ideas sobre cómo podemos repensar la comparación y síntesis de la evidencia textual y arqueológica en el estudio del pasado andino. En concreto, llamo atención sobre las dimensiones per-formativas de las reducciones y las visitas, subrayando el papel que desempeñaron en el proceso de la etnogénesis colonial.

Abstract PRODUCING CHERREPE: REDUCCIÓN, ETHNICITY, AND PERFORMANCE IN THE ZAÑA AND CHAMÁN VALLEYS, XVI AND XVII CENTURIES Since the early 20th century, Andeanist archaeologists have made frequent use of ethnohistoric and ethnographic sources to add narrative, structural, and processual detail to our descriptions of past worlds. However, we have paid insufficient attention to the semiotic relationships between texts and archaeological sites – i.e., how both of these sets of media reflect and construct reality in distinct ways. In this essay, I examine sites and landscapes that emerged through forced resettlement in the lower Zaña and Chamán valleys, in Peru's north coast region, during the late 16th century AD. In doing so, I present several ideas about how we might rethink the comparison and synthesis of textual and archaeological evidence in the study of the Andean past. Specifically, I call attention to the performative dimensions of both reducción sites and visita documents and underscore their role in colonial ethnogenesis.

Research paper thumbnail of Arqueología Histórica en El Perú

Boletin de Arqueología PUCP, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Territoriality in Archaeology

Archaeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Rethinking cultural hybridity and technology transfer: SEM microstructural analysis of lead glazed ceramics from early colonial Peru

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Sherds on the Edge: Characterization of 16th Century Colonial Spanish Pottery Recovered from the Solomon Islands

Archaeometry, 2015

We present the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis of ceramics recovered from the... more We present the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis of ceramics recovered from the Solomon Islands, associated with Alvaro de Mendaña y Neira's 16th century colonizing expedition to the region (c.1595–6). Based on the chemical and typological data and previously published petrological and geochronological research, this study assigns the provenance of the ceramics variously to Peru, Panama, Spain, China and Thailand. A comparison of the provenance results with historical records related to Mendaña's voyage also shows the value of the archaeological assemblage in providing a detailed picture of provisioned ceramic types and their provenance.

Research paper thumbnail of Identifying New World majolica from 16th–18th Century sites on Peru's north coast

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2018

This study presents the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), laser ablatio... more This study presents the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and thin-section analysis of 74 majolica sherds from 16th-18th Century sites in the Zaña Valley and Magdalena de Cao Viejo, Peru, and Panama Viejo, Panama. The majority of majolica samples from Peru are chemically associated with Panamanian reference groups, indicating their production in Panama; however, the remainder appears to be Andean-made, based on their distinct chemical signatures. These latter vessels seem to have been produced in Peru and build upon our understanding of colonial majolica manufacture in South America. Furthermore, the presence of blue-series decoration makes important contributions to our understanding of the Andean sphere of loza production.

Research paper thumbnail of Linking Past and Present Land-Use Histories in Southern Amazonas, Peru

Remote. Sens., 2021

This paper analyzes remotely sensed data sources to evaluate land-use history within the Peruvian... more This paper analyzes remotely sensed data sources to evaluate land-use history within the Peruvian department of Amazonas and demonstrates the utility of comparing present and past land-use patterns using continuous datasets, as a complement to the often dispersed and discrete data produced by archaeological and paleoecological field studies. We characterize the distribution of ancient (ca. AD 1–1550) terracing based on data drawn from high-resolution satellite imagery and compare it to patterns of deforestation between 2001 and 2019, based on time-series Landsat data. We find that the patterns reflected in these two datasets are statistically different, indicating a distinctive shift in land-use, which we link to the history of Inka and Spanish colonialism and Indigenous depopulation in the 15th through 17th centuries AD as well as the growth of road infrastructure and economic change in the recent past. While there is a statistically significant relationship between areas of ancien...

Research paper thumbnail of Mountain science poised to help ecotourism in Peruvian cloud forests

Past Global Changes Magazine, Apr 1, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Interregional Archaeology in the Age of Big Data: Building Online Collaborative Platforms for Virtual Survey in the Andes

Journal of Field Archaeology

Archaeologists study many phenomena that scale beyond even our most geographically expansive fiel... more Archaeologists study many phenomena that scale beyond even our most geographically expansive field methodologies. The promise of collecting archaeologically relevant data beyond the scale of regional surveys is among the most exciting prospects of the "data revolution." Yet previous efforts have either struggled to generate high-quality data within expansive regions or to use well-edited interregional datasets to address novel research questions. We discuss the development of two collaborative research projects that seek to address these problems-GeoPACHA (Geospatial Platform for Andean Culture, History and Archaeology) and LOGAR (Linked Open Gazetteer of the Andean Region). The former is an online platform facilitating virtual archaeological survey of satellite and historical aerial imagery; the latter collates primary source information on Andean places. We illustrate the potential of both tools through presentation and analysis of a comprehensive basemap of the planned colonial towns built during a mass resettlement program instituted in the viceroyalty of Peru in the 1570s C.E.

Research paper thumbnail of Big Archaeology: Horizons and Blindspots

Journal of Field Archaeology

Big data have arrived in archaeology, in the form of both large-scale datasets themselves and in ... more Big data have arrived in archaeology, in the form of both large-scale datasets themselves and in the analytics and approaches of data science. Aerial data collected from satellite-, airborne-and UAVmounted sensors have been particularly transformational, allowing us to capture more sites and features, over larger areas, at greater resolution, and in formerly inaccessible landscapes. However, these new means of collecting, processing, and visualizing datasets also present fresh challenges for archaeologists. What kinds of questions are these methods suited to answer, and where do they fall short? How do they articulate with the work of collecting smaller scale and lower resolution data? How are our relationships with "local" communities impacted by working at the scales of entire provinces, nation-states, and continents? This themed issue seeks to foster a conversation about how the unprecedented expansion of archaeological site detection, the globalization of archaeological data structures and databases, and the use of high-resolution aerial datasets are changing both the way archaeologists envision the past and the way we work in the present. In our introduction to the issue, presented here, we outline a series of conceptual and ethical issues posed by big data approaches in archaeology and provide an overview of how the nine essays that comprise this volume each address them.

Research paper thumbnail of Palaeodiet inferred from pre‐Hispanic and early colonial human remains from Carrizales, Zaña Valley, Peru

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology

Research paper thumbnail of International Pots of Mystery: Using PXRF spectroscopy to identify the provenance of botijas from 16th Century sites on Peru's north coast

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

This study presents the results of visual and portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) analyses of boti... more This study presents the results of visual and portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) analyses of botijas/olive jars from the 16th Century sites of San Miguel de Piura and Carrizales, north coast Peru. Although visual analysis generally enabled the discrimination of Spanish- from New World-made sherds, PXRF analyses permitted further provenance determinations to specific regions and countries of origin. The results show that botijas from these sites variously derive from Spain, Panama and South America, with only Spanish sherds present at the church contexts under study in San Miguel de Piura. At Carrizales, Spanish botijas are abundant across church and domestic associated spaces, with only slightly higher concentrations recovered from church-affiliated contexts, and Panamanian and South American sherds also present. These results suggest that numerous economic, socio-religious and political factors were at play in the use and potential re-use of botijas at these sites. First 50 days free download link: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Zfr0,rVDBRdhZ

Research paper thumbnail of Lasers Without Lost Cities: Using Drone Lidar to Capture Architectural Complexity at Kuelap, Amazonas, Peru

Journal of Field Archaeology, 2020

We report the results of drone lidar survey at a high-elevation archaeological site in the Chacha... more We report the results of drone lidar survey at a high-elevation archaeological site in the Chachapoyas region of Peruvian Amazonia. Unlike traditional airborne remote sensing, drone lidar produces very high-density measurements at a wide range of scan angles by operating at low altitudes and slow flight speeds. These measurements can resolve near vertical surfaces and novel dimensions of variability in architectural datasets. We show in a case study at Kuelap that the number of detected structures almost exactly matches the number reported from previous ground level surveys, and we use these data to quantify the relative circularity and size frequency distribution of architectural structures. We demonstrate variability in domestic architecture that was obscured in previous models produced using low-resolution remote sensing. Spatial analysis of these attributes produces new hypotheses about the site's construction history and social organization.

Research paper thumbnail of Big Archaeology: Horizons and Blindspots (open access at doi.org/10.1080/00934690.2020.1714307)

Journal of Field Archaeology, 2020

Big data have arrived in archaeology, in the form of both large-scale datasets themselves and in ... more Big data have arrived in archaeology, in the form of both large-scale datasets themselves and in the analytics and approaches of data science. Aerial data collected from satellite-, airborne- and UAV-mounted sensors have been particularly transformational, allowing us to capture more sites and features, over larger areas, at greater resolution, and in formerly inaccessible landscapes. However, these new means of collecting, processing, and visualizing datasets also present fresh challenges for archaeologists. What kinds of questions are these methods suited to answer, and where do they fall short? How do they articulate with the work of collecting smaller scale and lower resolution data? How are our relationships with “local” communities impacted by working at the scales of entire provinces, nation-states, and continents? This themed issue seeks to foster a conversation about how the unprecedented expansion of archaeological site detection, the globalization of archaeological data structures and databases, and the use of high-resolution aerial datasets are changing both the way archaeologists envision the past and the way we work in the present. In our introduction to the issue, presented here, we outline a series of conceptual and ethical issues posed by big data approaches in archaeology and provide an overview of how the nine essays that comprise this volume each address them.

Research paper thumbnail of PALEODIET INFERRED FROM PREHISPANIC AND EARLY COLONIAL HUMAN REMAINS FROM CARRIZALES, ZAÑA VALLEY, PERU

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2019

This study utilizes multi-isotopic analysis to reconstruct diet and source-water consumption from... more This study utilizes multi-isotopic analysis to reconstruct diet and source-water consumption from human remains collected at Carrizales, in the Zaña Valley of northern coastal Peru. Carrizales is a multi-component site that encompasses the remains of 1) Early Intermediate Period (200-800 CE) cemeteries (Conjuntos 126 and 127); 2) Late Sicán / Lambayeque period (ca. 1100-1350 CE) domestic occupations (Conjuntos 125, 128 and 131); and 3) a planned town (reducción) into which indigenous people were resettled under Spanish rule, circa 1572 CE (Conjunto 123). Faunal and botanical assemblages at the site differ significantly between the Late Sicán/Lambayeque and early colonial phases, suggesting a distinct shift in local subsistence regimes following Spanish colonization and resettlement.
Human remains were collected from Carrizales for the characterization of dietary isotopes and further examination of the impacts of Spanish colonialism on native foodways. Carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope values were characterized in the enamel carbonate, bone carbonate, and bone collagen of individuals associated with Early Intermediate Period contexts (N=4) and the late 16th century chapel within the site’s reducción (N=21). Over half of the study sample failed to produce viable bone collagen, an issue that is common in bioarchaeological samples from the north coast of Peru. However, among those with viable bone collagen and carbonate, there were minimal differences in δ13C, δ18O, and δ15N values between the two phases. This extends to values in enamel carbonate, which is highly resistant to diagenesis. Therefore, patterns in isotope values do not mirror the significant differences manifest in food remains from Carrizales. We suggest that (1) the diets of Early Intermediate Period individuals and Early Colonial period individuals buried at the site were quite similar, contrasting with the patterns indicated by Late Intermediate Period food remains; and (2) both populations obtained water from similar sources – a pattern that reinforces the characterization of reducción in the Zaña valley as a relatively local phenomenon in which nearby populations were concentrated into planned towns, rather than drawn from distant valleys.

Research paper thumbnail of The Past Present and Future of Transconquest Archaeology in the Andes

International Journal of Historical Archaeology, 2019

I reflect on how the series of essays in this themed issue map out an emerging orientation in And... more I reflect on how the series of essays in this themed issue map out an emerging orientation in Andeanist archaeology, the transconquest perspective. Growing out of scholars' engagements with the local dimensions of Inka and Spanish rule and the methodological and ontological divides that distinguish "history" and "prehistory," the transconquest perspective attends to the affective connections that constitute polities and shape imperial transitions. I discuss its development, consider the ways in which these articles manifest it, and suggest two directions in which the transconquest perspective is pointing Andeanist and other historical archaeologies.

Research paper thumbnail of Inside the Reducción: Crafting Colonial Foodways at Carrizales and Mocupe Viejo, Zaña Valley, Peru (1570–1700)

International Journal of Historical Archaeology, 2019

This study explores the politics of indigenous foodways in early colonial Peru, examining the pro... more This study explores the politics of indigenous foodways in early colonial Peru, examining the processes by which indigenous households adapted to demographic stress, resettlement, and evangelization in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries CE.We examine faunal and botanical data from two planned towns (reducciones) located in Peru’s Zaña Valley—Carrizales and Mocupe Viejo. Inter- and intra-site comparison of food procurement and diet reveal different strategies and timing in the ways that Eurasian products were incorporated into native foodways, suggesting that while Old World animal domesticates were rapidly integrated into the indigenous diet, plant domesticates tied to the Iberian palate were not as readily adopted.

Research paper thumbnail of Mobilization as Mediation Implementing a Tablet-Based Recording System for Ceramic Classification

Advances in Archaeological Practice, 2018

Since 2010, dozens of archaeological projects have adopted mobile digital devices for recording a... more Since 2010, dozens of archaeological projects have adopted mobile digital devices for recording and managing field data. Mobile platforms promise a series of mechanical advantages over paper forms, including the possibility of accelerating the speed of data collection, enhancing data richness, and monitoring work in real time when tablets are synced to on-site servers. Published evaluations of the use of mobile devices in archaeology suggest that they are delivering on these promises, and it is likely that the number of projects employing mobile devices will continue to increase (e.g., Austin 2014; Averett et al. ABSTRACT In this essay, we examine the potentials and challenges of mobile computing for a core activity of archaeological laboratory research—the typological analysis of ceramics. We discuss the collaborative development, implementation, and evaluation of the PAZC Ceramics module in the FAIMS Mobile platform. Our deployment of the module yielded significant improvements in the efficiency of data collection, as well as reduced numbers of missing fields and higher user satisfaction scores. However, it did not improve data consistency between users and yielded a classificatory system that was somewhat more challenging to update than our previous mode of operation. These results underscore some of the trade-offs that may be entailed in employing mobile technologies for archaeological applications and highlight the ways in which specific media configurations impact the production of archaeological knowledge.

Research paper thumbnail of Caracterización química de cerámica colonial temprana en el sitio de Carrizales, Lambayeque, Perú

Research paper thumbnail of Identifying New World majolica from 16th–18th Century sites on Peru's north coast

This study presents the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), laser ablatio... more This study presents the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and thin-section analysis of 74 majolica sherds from 16th–18th Century sites in the Zaña Valley and Magdalena de Cao Viejo, Peru, and Panama Viejo, Panama. The majority of majolica samples from Peru are chemically associated with Panamanian reference groups, indicating their production in Panama; however, the remainder appears to be Andean-made, based on their distinct chemical signatures. These latter vessels seem to have been produced in Peru and build upon our understanding of colonial majolica manufacture in South America. Furthermore, the presence of blue-series decoration makes important contributions to our understanding of the Andean sphere of loza production.

Research paper thumbnail of Produciendo Chérrepe: reducción, etnia y performance en los valles de Zaña y Chamán, siglos XVI y XVII

Boletin de Arqueología PUCP, 2016

Resumen Desde inicios del siglo XX, los arqueólogos andinistas hemos hecho uso frecuente de las f... more Resumen Desde inicios del siglo XX, los arqueólogos andinistas hemos hecho uso frecuente de las fuentes etnohistóricas y etnográficas para añadir detalles narrativos, estructurales y procesuales a nuestras descripciones del pasado. Sin embargo, no hemos prestado suficiente atención a las relaciones semióticas entre textos, sitios y artefactos arqueológicos, es decir, los modos en que estos dos medios reflejan y construyen a la realidad de maneras distintas. En este ensayo, examino los paisajes y lugares que surgieron a través del reasentamiento forzado en los valles de Zaña y Chamán, en la región Costa Norte del Perú, a fines del siglo XVI d.C. Al hacerlo, presento varias ideas sobre cómo podemos repensar la comparación y síntesis de la evidencia textual y arqueológica en el estudio del pasado andino. En concreto, llamo atención sobre las dimensiones per-formativas de las reducciones y las visitas, subrayando el papel que desempeñaron en el proceso de la etnogénesis colonial.

Abstract PRODUCING CHERREPE: REDUCCIÓN, ETHNICITY, AND PERFORMANCE IN THE ZAÑA AND CHAMÁN VALLEYS, XVI AND XVII CENTURIES Since the early 20th century, Andeanist archaeologists have made frequent use of ethnohistoric and ethnographic sources to add narrative, structural, and processual detail to our descriptions of past worlds. However, we have paid insufficient attention to the semiotic relationships between texts and archaeological sites – i.e., how both of these sets of media reflect and construct reality in distinct ways. In this essay, I examine sites and landscapes that emerged through forced resettlement in the lower Zaña and Chamán valleys, in Peru's north coast region, during the late 16th century AD. In doing so, I present several ideas about how we might rethink the comparison and synthesis of textual and archaeological evidence in the study of the Andean past. Specifically, I call attention to the performative dimensions of both reducción sites and visita documents and underscore their role in colonial ethnogenesis.

Research paper thumbnail of Arqueologia Historica en el Peru: Posibilidades y Perspectivas

Boletín de Arqueología PUCP, 2016

Este articulo presenta una reseña de los logros y una agenda de metas para la arqueología históri... more Este articulo presenta una reseña de los logros y una agenda de metas para la arqueología histórica Peruanista, además de una orientación al volumen editado presentado en las páginas del Boletín de Arqueología PUCP. Se puede bajar gratis en: https://doi.org/10.18800/boletindearqueologiapucp.201601.001

Research paper thumbnail of Historias galonadas: la genealogía de reducción, paisaje y población en los valles de Zaña y Chamán, Perú

Research paper thumbnail of Humanities 1973J - How to Do Things with Maps: Cartography, Power, and Political Imagination, from Gilgamesh to Google

Maps do not merely represent reality; they both create and exceed it. This course critically exam... more Maps do not merely represent reality; they both create and exceed it. This course critically examines the history and future of cartography, devoting particular attention to the role that maps and map-making have played in the emergence and persistence of social power and political imagination. Among other topics, we consider how maps have shaped (and are shaped by) property and class relations; state sovereignty and royal authority; colonialism and imperialism; national and ethnic identities; and the relationship between humankind and nature, earth and the cosmos.

Research paper thumbnail of Anthropology 2201 - Archaeology in the Digital Age.pdf

In the 21st Century, digital tools are as integral to the practice of archaeological research as ... more In the 21st Century, digital tools are as integral to the
practice of archaeological research as the trowel and the
field notebook. This course combines training in essential digital applications for archaeology
with critical discussions of the impact of digital methods on the conceptual dimensions of
archaeological research design and practice. Topics include topographic survey, GNSS, tabletbased
field-data recording systems, database design, digital photogrammetry, and
intermediate techniques in archaeological Geographic Information Systems. Demonstrated
proficiency in ArcGIS or open-sourced GIS software (the equivalent of an introductory course,
preferably Anthropology 1201) and previous archaeological field experience are prerequisites.

Research paper thumbnail of Brown Anth 2590 space power and politics provisional syllabus

Course Description: For much of our history, anthropologists in general (and anthropological arch... more Course Description: For much of our history, anthropologists in general (and anthropological archaeologists in particular) have been predominantly concerned with studying how societies change over time. Since the " spatial turn " of the last decades of the 20th century and the first of the 21 st , however, space has become one of the key foci of scholarship in anthropology and many corollary social sciences, leading to the production of a diverse, expansive, and ambitious literature on the subject. This seminar charts a course through that literature, focusing in particular on the political production of space – from the scale of bodies, to cities, states, and international systems. The course is divided into three units. In the first five weeks of the term, we will engage with a series of key readings on the ontology and epistemology of space, place and landscape and consider questions that are central to their study – namely, what are these things, and how should we make sense of them? More specifically, how is it that space is produced, experienced, and politicized? After establishing our conceptual foundations and surveying a range of different approaches, we will move on to examine the politics of space at different scales and read three recent monographs that employ quite different lenses to make sense of spatial dilemmas in their respective areas of study – Smith's The Political Machine, Shabazz's Spatializing Blackness, and Weizman's Hollow Land. Having covered analytics and a series of case studies, we'll finish the course with a final unit critical cartography. Here, we'll examine how maps mediate social and political relations and consider techniques and interventions for capturing space's complexity in the digital age.

Research paper thumbnail of Vertical Civilization: Andean Archaeology and Andean Environments from Monte Verde to the Inkas

Research paper thumbnail of History and Anthropology: Facets of a Complex Dialogue

Grenet -Umrath 234 -by appointment VanValkenburgh -Umrath 233 -by appointment

Research paper thumbnail of Into the Archive: Paleography, Diplomatics, and the Practice of Writing in Colonial Spanish America

Typically, courses in Spanish paleography (at least, those taught in American universities) take ... more Typically, courses in Spanish paleography (at least, those taught in American universities) take the form of loosely structured seminars that focus on step--by--step transcriptions of archival facsimiles collected by the course instructor. While helpful and flexible, this format tends to limit the range of documents to which students gain exposure and leaves little room for discussing the contexts and processes in which the written word attains performative force (specific institutions and social relationships). This experimental graduate workshop attempts a different approach. While the primary aim -to advance participants' ability to transcribe and interpret early modern written documents -remains the same, we will use this forum to consider some of the deeper implications of the study of early modern writing, particularly in colonial contexts. To this effect, our weekly agenda brings in material from two related areas of study: 1) diplomatics -the study of the creation, form, and transmission of records, particularly their institutional contexts and their relationship to the facts presented in them; 2) textual semiotics and pragmatics -theories of what writing means, as well as what it does.

Research paper thumbnail of Archaeological Approaches to Architecture and the Built Environment

Research paper thumbnail of Material Conquests

Research paper thumbnail of INFORME FINAL DEL PROYECTO DE INVESTIGACIÓN ARQUEOLÓGICA PAISAJES ARQUEOLÓGICOS DE CHACHAPOYAS (PACHA) Cuenca del Río Utcubamba, Departamento de Amazonas FASE I -Prospección Inicial

Informe oficial del proyecto arqueológico PACHA 2017, entregado al Ministerio de Cultura del Perú.

Research paper thumbnail of INFORME FINAL DEL PROYECTO DE INVESTIGACIÓN ARQUEOLÓGICA PAISAJES ARQUEOLÓGICOS DE CHACHAPOYAS (PACHA-2018) Cuenca del Río Utcubamba, Departamento de Amazonas FASE 1, Temporada 2a

Este es el informe oficial y aprobado de proyecto PACCHA 2018, mandado al ministerio de cultural ... more Este es el informe oficial y aprobado de proyecto PACCHA 2018, mandado al ministerio de cultural del Peru

Research paper thumbnail of Informe 2009-10 - Proyecto Arqueológico Zaña Colonial

Informe de los trabajos arqueológicos del Proyecto Arqueológico Zaña Colonial en 2009-10, entrega... more Informe de los trabajos arqueológicos del Proyecto Arqueológico Zaña Colonial en 2009-10, entregado al Ministerio de Cultura del Peru

Research paper thumbnail of Informe 2014 - Proyecto Arqueológico Zaña Colonial

Informe de los trabajos arqueológicos del Proyecto Arqueológico Zaña Colonial en 2014, entregado ... more Informe de los trabajos arqueológicos del Proyecto Arqueológico Zaña Colonial en 2014, entregado al Ministerio de Cultura del Peru

Research paper thumbnail of Informe 2015 - Proyecto Arqueológico Zaña Colonial

Informe de los trabajos arqueológicos del Proyecto Arqueológico Zaña Colonial en 2015, entregado ... more Informe de los trabajos arqueológicos del Proyecto Arqueológico Zaña Colonial en 2015, entregado al Ministerio de Cultura del Peru

Research paper thumbnail of Proyecto Arqueológico Zaña Colonial Informe 2012

Informe de los trabajos arqueológicos del Proyecto Arqueológico Zaña Colonial en 2012, entregado ... more Informe de los trabajos arqueológicos del Proyecto Arqueológico Zaña Colonial en 2012, entregado al Ministerio de Cultura del Peru

Research paper thumbnail of Contexts: The Annual Report of the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, v. 42 (2017)

by Kevin P . Smith, Kaitlin McCormick, Steven Lubar, Bolaji Campbell, Ian Randall, Parker VanValkenburgh, Candy Xiao Rui, Geralyn Ducady, Leah Burgin, Pinar Durgun, Luiza Osorio G Silva, and Laurel Darcy Hackley

Contexts is the Annual Report of the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, edited by Kevin P. Smith.

Research paper thumbnail of El Contrato del Mar: colonial life and and maritime subsistence at Carrizales, Zaña Valley, Peru

Maritime Communities of the Ancient Andes, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Arqueología histórica en el Perú: la sociedad andina en la transición económica, política y social

Boletín de Arqueología PUCP, 2016