Sacred places and symbolic objects are crucial components in the performance of ceremonials and rituals. The Cerro Castillo Archaeological Project focuses on 1) people who crafted these settings and emblematic artefacts, and 2) how craft specialization impinges on the shaping of power relationships. I develop this subject by studying the case of the Moche society.

The Moche was one of the most remarkable pre-Columbian civilizations. Known for their visually distinctive and elaborated metal and ceramic objects, monumental temples, and complex funerary practices, Moche polities developed along the Peruvian north coast from circa A.D. 100 to A.D. 850. Despite the many research projects carried out in the last two decades in the Moche territory, none yet has focussed on one of the most salient Moche sites: Pañamarca, in the Nepeña Valley.

This project aims to assess the Moche occupation at Pañamarca by conducting archaeological excavations in its residential areas, also known as Cerro Castillo. I centre my study on the archaeological remains left by craft specialists: settlements, workshops, burials, and/or manufactured objects. I seek to address craft production by recognising the active role played by craft specialists in the materialisation of political ideologies and in the shaping of social structure.

This opportunity also includes visits to other archaeological sites and excavations in the region, as well as lectures and discussions about the Moche and Andean prehistory.