The Wizard, the Archaeologists, and "Peru's First Great Art Style"

This talk by Jeffrey Quilter, Harvard University, examines changing understandings of the Chavín and Cupisnique archaeological cultures and art styles and the archaeologists who defined and interpreted them. Particular attention focuses on Junius Bird's 1946 research at the El Brujo archaeological complex on Peru's North Coast. Although Bird is renowned for his pioneering investigations of the Preceramic occupation at Huaca Prieta, his brief but important excavations in later deposits nearby remain less well known. Jeffrey Quilter's ongoing study of Bird's collections at the American Museum of Natural History provides new perspectives. While Chavín has become better understood, Cupisnique remains enigmatic despite advancing analytical methods.

Part of the Ancient Latin American Lecture series.

Sponsored by the Edward J. and Dorothy Clarke Kempf Memorial Fund.