With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Izumi Shimada and his team of specialists and students will conduct two seasons (2004 and 2005) of archaeological fieldwork at the famed pre-Hispanic religious center of Pachacamac just south of the city of Lima on the central coast of Peru. Pachacamac was one of the most revered and durable prehistoric religious/pilgrimage centers in the Andean region, arguably the Mecca of the Americas. Today, along with Macchu Picchu, it is one of the best-known and oft-visited monuments of Peru. The powerful patron deity of this center was much feared even by the mighty Inkas, who often consulted its oracle. Following Spanish conquest of the Andean world and the imposition of Catholicism, the deity was transformed into the Purple Christ and continues today to command the fervent devotion of millions of modern residents of Lima and surrounding areas.
With the participation of archaeologists, botanists, chemist, historian, and zoologist from Germany, Japan, Peru and the U.S., this research aims to clarify the (1) identity, organization, and roles of the residents of this center, and (2) the role environmental conditions played in its remarkable longevity, resilience and power. To attain the first goal, we will excavate three areas near the base of the sacred Temple of Pachacamac. The 2003 survey of this area using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) revealed the presence of superimposed remains of what are thought to have been residences and workshops down to depths of 6 to 7 m below surface that were built over the 1500 plus years of nearly continuous prehistoric occupation. In 2004, the team will conduct a supplementary GPR survey to improve understanding of buried architecture. The second aim will be achieved through analysis of sediment cores to be extracted from the two small ponds situated within and just outside of Pachacamac. Composition and relative frequencies of pollens, diatoms, sediments, and animal and plant remains in the superimposed layers of sediments should allow reconstruction of local climate and ecology, including the effects of droughts and El Nino events.
This research is important for a number of reasons: It will (1) advance our understanding of the role of ancient religious centers in social integration and political centralization, (2) refine approaches to understanding their operation and maintenance, and (3) elucidate the relationship between the ebb and flow of religious centers and associated ideology, on the one hand, and environmental conditions, on the other. The research is also critical in promoting international and inter-disciplinary collaboration, as well as the training of American and foreign students.
