Anthropology Major
Latin American Studies Minor
University of Florida
A Vessel for Ethnic Expression:
How Pottery Reflects Identity in the SIAR of Chan Chan
This is my research being conducted in the academic year of 2024-2025 through the department of Anthropology at the University of Florida
Project Focus
My research is a comparative image analysis of decorative elements on ceramic fragments from the Andean north coast. I am investigating through my research how ceramic design can be utilized to express ethnicity and individuality in ancient Andean societies. For my research, I am using a sample of 255 sherds collected from the field season of 2022 at Chan Chan, a pre-Hispanic city and archaeological site in the Moche Valley of Peru. I have been conducting this research in the Peruvian Archaeology Lab at UF. I began this research in the fall of 2024 and will be finishing it in the spring of 2025.
Project Responsibilities
Analysis of 255 sherds through digital photographs. I inspect, describe, and sort decorative elements into an established type-series that will support ongoing comparative analysis. I compare elements that express a multitude of ethnic identities and interpret how that plays a role into the larger political and social landscape. My research is framed within the context of centuries of pivotal archaeological and ethnohistorical research that has been conducted on the North Coast of Peru. As such, my paper synthesizes these findings to offer a detailed look into the ceramic specialists of Chan Chan and their role in Chimu society.