Tarapaca Valley Archaeological Conservation Project
Chile
Summer 2009
The Tarapaca area in Chile contains extensive and diverse archaeological remains in one the most breathtaking regions of South America. This program allows students to study the history of human adaptation to one of the world's driest areas, the Pampa del Tamarugal (Atacama Desert). Because of its aridity, all types of materials preserve at local sites, including human remains, textiles, basketry pottery, and food remains, making the archaeological experience there one of the most rewarding anywhere.
The valley is just 100 kilometers east of Iquique, a modern city of 200,000 people located on Chile's northern coast. The Tarapaca area is a beautiful desert oases with a classic southern Andean river cutting through the desert. The area is also home to one of the densest concentration of landscape art anywhere in south America– forming both anthropological and geometric designs in various scales, from miniature rock art to geoglyphs covering entire hillsides. The Tarapaca Archaeological Project is a bi-national research project (Chile-California) and has its field headquarters at San Lorenzo de Tarapaca, the colonial capital of the Tarapaca region.
As part of an academic research institution, students will have the opportunity to participate in ongoing research projects in both archaeology and conservation and interact with an international team of faculty and students and the local community. At the conclusion of the field season, students will be gain great appreciation to the rich cultural patrimony of Chile, both past and present.
The scope of the archaeological conservation field school is to provide participants (students in archaeology, anthropology and sciences), a pre-program experience and knowledge of the basic principles of archaeological conservation and to introduce methods and techniques of field conservation and preventive and passive conservation approaches aiming at the long-term preservation of the archaeological record. After this course, students will acquire: introductory knowledge in Andean archaeology; principles of archaeological conservation in the field and in the laboratory; introductory preventive conservation skills; hands-on experience of non-invasive scientific methods of analysis; diagnostic imaging and photo-documentation; knowledge of conservation materials and methods; problem-solving abilities; team work and collaborative spirit. On completion of the course, students will have accomplished some 150 hours of supervised practical conservation work based on a variety of activities.