ACCOMMODATIONS:
Students will live in refurbished colonial mansion in the historic core of the World Heritage city of Cuzco. Students will stay in modern apartments with private bathrooms, each with hot water. Wireless is available at all times. UCLA Summer Sessions reserves the right to change the housing location. Should this become necessary, the project director will arrange comparable accommodations elsewhere.

MEALS:
Monday through Friday, meals are provided by the program in the city and in the field. These include breakfast, lunch and dinner. Students are responsible for their weekend meals. Please let us know when you apply for this program if you have any special dietary needs. If you are a vegetarian, be aware that you may not have access to meals typically available in the USA. If necessary, students can purchase food at the local supermarket.
Cost: Covered by tuition

Students will live in a refurbished colonial mansion in Cuzco and walk every morning to the archeological site.

The course’s primary directive is to enable engineering and environmental science students to better understand how first principles of engineering were used in antiquity and how present engineering knowledge can be contextualized through the understanding of its development and evolution. Students will be surprised by the different, yet innovation and sophisticated solutions Inca engineers used to run one of the ancient world most advanced hydrological systems. Students will learn not only of the engineering solutions, but of the thought process that brought them about. It is this thought process that could serve students in future work, providing dramatically different ways at looking – and solving – engineering problems.

Students in this project will learn basic archaeological field methods, and apply basic hydrological and hydraulic engineering principles to guide investigations on two of the most important structures built by the Inka: Sachsaywhaman (pronounced saxy-waman) a temple complex just above the city of Cuzco, and Machu Picchu, a royal palace located in the subtropics. Primary focus will be placed on mapping and understanding the water supply and drainage system and engineering principals for terraces and roads Students will also be learning of the culture and history of the Andes by living and studying in this diverse and historically important region.

Number of credits: 12 UCLA credit units
Offered by: UCLA
Tuition: $4,500 UC Students; $4,950 all others

You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements. Please plan to arrive in Cuzco (CUZ), by June 12th (Sunday) to give yourself time to acclimate to the altitude before we begin Monday afternoon.

We recommend that you fly to Lima then directly to the airport in Cuzco. Be sure that you have enough time to make your connecting flight in Lima to Cuzco. Flights to Cuzco leave in the morning from the same airport as international flight arrivals. Do not accept any assistance from anyone claiming that the flights to Cuzco leave from a different building.

Peru is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and many airlines (US and international) fly there. Best prices are typically associated with the purchase of an international flight originating in the US and ending in Cuzco. LAN is a good airline that offers direct flights between various US gateways and Lima, and a number of US and other international carriers fly to Lima with easy connections at major hubs. Please remember that even if your ticket show direct flight to Cuzco, all passengers must pick up their baggage in Lima and go through customs there.

VISA REQUIREMENTS:
Tourist visas are issued at Peruʹs Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima. All flights in Peru, both domestic and international, are subject to an airport fee. Fees change frequently but are approx. $37 for international flights and $7 for domestic flights. Make sure your passport is valid until at least 6 months after the date you are planning to return. For more information, please consult the US State Department relevant page.

Tourist visas are issued at Peruʹs Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima. All flights in Peru, both domestic and international, are subject to an airport fee. Fees change frequently but are approx. $37 for international flights and $7 for domestic flights. Make sure your passport is valid until at least 6 months after the date you are planning to return. For more information, please consult the US State Department relevant page.

 

Contact Person:

Dr. Richard W. Miksad
310.825.3050

Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA