Multidisciplinary Research at Castillo de Huarmey, Peru

The site of Castillo de Huarmey on the north coast of Peru is widely known for a spectacular 2012-13 discovery – an intact tomb under the Wari imperial mausoleum where a large number of elite females along with their rich grave goods were buried. Along with extensive excavations and surveys, the Polish-Peruvian archaeological project – Proyecto de Investigación Arqueológica Castillo de Huarmey (PIACH) – is engaged in multidisciplinary research on each aspect of the Wari presence on the north coast of Peru. This research includes analyses of the geographical, geological and cultural contexts, architecture, artifacts and various techniques used for producing them, sources for textile, pottery and metal production, as well as osteological, biogeochemical and genetic analyses of the bioarchaeological individuals. As most of the work is still in progress, the session is designed to inform the scholarly world of this cutting-edge research and to generate a discussion on the results obtained to date.