my 2014 field season in huaylas, peru
Post on 21-Oct-2014
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A presentation on my July 2014 Field Season in Huaylas, Peru work with the nonprofit archaeological and community development organization, PIARA including the opening of the Museum in Hualcayán, Craft Workshop, and pictures of cute children.TRANSCRIPT
My Summer in Huaylas, Perú, 2014 by Robert Connolly
2014 Trip to Hualcayán, Perú was in collabora@on with Proyecto de Inves@gación Arqueológico Regional Ancash (PIARA).
The actual community of Hualcayán is situated in a complex of prehistoric archaeological features that span nearly 4000 years of human occupa@on of the region. The open field in the foreground is where the village plays soccer. The linear features on the hillside in the background are prehistoric agricultural terraces.
In July of 2014, I made my second trip to Hualcayán. The village, with a popula@on of about 400, is located in the department of Ancash at about 3200 meters (10,500 feet) above sea level in the Cordillera Blanca Mountain Range northeast of Lima, Perú. The purpose of the trip was as a follow-‐up to my 2013 inves@ga@ons exploring the poten@al for collabora@ve projects between PIARA, students in the Museum Studies Graduate Cer@ficate Program at the University of Memphis, and the C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa in Memphis Tennessee, U.S.
PIARA was founded in 2009 by Rebecca Bria (le[) who currently is Co-‐Director of the organiza@on along with Elizabeth Cruzado Carranza (right). Rebecca is comple@ng her doctoral program in Anthropology at Vanderbilt University. Elizabeth is currently enrolled in the Masters of Science program in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Memphis. Both Rebecca and Elizabeth are commi`ed to PIARA’s goals of accomplishing important scien@fic research and working in equal partnership with their host communi@es to create sustainable solu@ons to economic, educa@onal, healthcare, and wellness needs.
In 2013, PIARA ac@vi@es included the following: • Conducted archaeological research • Sponsored and organized the first cultural heritage fes@val • Created and funded a library for the village school • Organized and funded a Children’s Christmas Celebra@on • Organized exhibits on Hualcayán site excava@ons in the ci@es of Caraz and Huaraz • And more . . .
What follows are some of the highlights of the 2014 field season. A key focus of our work this year was to aggressively respond to the community request for support in the cultural heritage development of the community. PIARA also partnered with the American Climber Science Program to inves@gate and conduct educa@onal workshops on climate change in the region. One of the first tasks undertaken this summer by PIARA Co-‐Director Elizabeth Cruzado Carranza and Erick Casanova Vasquez, both mul@-‐year veterans of PIARA research, was to construct and install a suitable antenna to assure television recep@on in Hualcayán of the World Cup Soccer Match.
Archaeological Research in 2014 primarily focused on laboratory analysis of previously excavated materials coupled with limited field survey.
The PIARA Team also co-‐created programs for the village school with local teachers. Co-‐crea@on priori@zes the expressed needs of the local community. PIARA’s role is to provide logis@cal support and other exper@se to accomplish the needs iden@fied by the community.
The Hualcayán oral history project launched this summer is an excellent example of co-‐crea@on. The village teachers iden@fied the lack of a local wri`en history as a serious problem. We discussed that a solu@on could include local students conduc@ng an oral history project with community residents that could be compiled and published. Above, Hualcayán students prac@ce their interviewing skills on PIARA Team members before working with local residents. PIARA donated the video cameras and laptop for the project and will coordinate the publica@on of a book and DVD based on the interviews.
PIARA provided trash containers for the area school and village along with educa@onal programs on recycling.
PIARA also led cra[ ac@vi@es in the school that were not only fun but related to the tradi@onal culture of the area . . .
. . . students recreated iconography based on prehistoric designs recorded at archaeological sites in their region . . .
. . . and crea@ng a class quipu based on the record keeping method of their Inca ancestors.
Using start-‐up funds provided by St. John’s Episcopal Church in Memphis, Tennessee, US, PIARA was able to help launch a handcra[ workshop in which over 20 women from Hualcayán par@cipate. Besides an economic s@mulus to the village economy, the a[ernoon sessions are an opportunity for the par@cipants to visit and socialize.
The cra[s produced will be sold both in Perú and the United States with all proceeds directly controlled by the women ar@sans.
The cra[ workshops have also resulted in an a[erschool child care center for the children of the women ar@sans. The children spend @me crea@ng their own cra[s or learning computer skills.
This summer the PIARA Team also traveled to Huaripampa to cheer on the Hualcayán school teachers and students in a parade compe@@on on the the anniversary of the Santa Cruz District.
In July of 2014, PIARA took a major step in its commitment to develop a regional focus in the Huaylas Municipality. We were featured guests at the inaugura@on of the new library in the city of Caraz (upper le[ photo). The next day, Elizabeth Cruzado and I made a presenta@on to the Mayor of Huaylas proposing a 12-‐point collabora@ve project with the Municipal Museum in Caraz and PIARA. The collabora@on will draw on the resources of both ins@tu@ons in the United States and Peru. We an@cipate signing a formal agreement by September of 2014.
ARQUEOLOGÍA, COMUNIDAD Y EDUCACIÓN
Lic. Elizabeth Cruzado, Universidad de Memphis, TN, USA. Dr. Robert Connolly, Profesor del Departamento de Antropología -‐ UM.
One area of the collabora@on will be to develop a joint proposal for a Museum Connect Grant through the American Alliance of Museums.
A highlight of the 2014 field season was the crea@on of a museum and cultural center for the village of Hualcayán. The community had a long-‐standing request of PIARA to assist in the crea@on of the facility. This summer we took those first steps. A single room of the community center was refurbished by PIARA for the center. A[er a thorough cleaning, a fresh coat of paint, and the construc@on of divider walls, the museum began to take shape.
The Museum consists of a virtual exhibit of cultural materials excavated from the Hualcayán site, informa@on on the archaeology of the region, culture history @melines, an iconography display created by local ar@sans, and photographic displays of archaeological research and contemporary village life. My Museum Prac@ces graduate seminar at the University of Memphis this fall will consider a set of improvements and upgrades that will be installed in the museum in January of 2015.
But, as is always the case, the greatest experiences are mee@ng and being in community with the folks one meets on travels to loca@ons such as Hualcayán.
I look forward to a return trip in January, 2015. For project updates follow my blog at: rcnnolly.wordpress.com The PIARA blog at: h`p://piaraperublog.wordpress.com/ Visit the PIARA website at: www.piaraperu.org Or like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/piaraperu.org