Introduction

Thanks to the generosity of the LAII and the Tinker Foundation Field Research Grant, I was able to travel to the coastal Huaura Valley of Peru to conduct research. The purpose of this trip was twofold: firstly, to conduct a detailed analysis of a Late Intermediate (A.D. 1000 to 1450) and Late Horizon period (A.D. 1450 to 1532) ceramic assemblage; secondly, to visit sites in the Huaura Valley to evaluate their excavation potential for further study. I travelled to the archaeological site of Centinela, which is located on Peru’s Pacific coast at the mouth of the Huaura River. Centinela is composed of adobe compounds and public spaces that were inhabited from the Middle Horizon period (A.D. 600 to 1000) up until European contact. By studying the ceramic assemblage from the site of Cerro Colorado, I have familiarized myself with the material culture of the Huaura Valley, experience that will prove useful for future research in this area.

Historically, Afro-Colombians have been socially marginalized and politically excluded. Beginning in the early 1500s, African slave labor was applied to cattle raising, transportation, construction, and domestic service (Arocha 1998, p. 73-4), with a later a focus on gold and platinum mining. Due to the scattering of slave concentrations throughout the country, ethnic reconstruction was limited until the early 1900s, when the rise of sugar plantations sparked consolidation efforts for enslaved Afro-descended populations –though it is still difficult to trace ethnic identity formations (Arocha 1998, p. 73). Arocha notes that Afro-Colombians were made invisible by the Christianization of African slaves, wherein names were altered or replaced to match masters’ family names. Additionally, a shift towards a new caste system abandoned racial terminology, instead tying in whiteness directly to authenticity and “rationality” (ibid 1998; see also Arocha 1992). The concept of progress became inextricably tied to race, with Afro-Colombians at the far end of the spectrum. To this day, some academics and political officials still consider Afro-Colombian history as being “fake” or invented when compared to that of indigenous peoples, mestizos, and Spanish inhabitants (Walsh 2007, p. 201-7). It should be noted that in Colombia, Afro-descended populations outnumber indigenous populations, and have been living in the country since the sixteenth century (Walsh 2007 p. 202; Oslender 2002 p. 91). Out of the roughly 15 million Afro-descendants living in Colombia, over one million reside in the Pacific coastal region, the majority being in Quibdó, Buenaventura, Tumaco, and Guapi with around forty percent living in smaller, more rural areas (Oslender 2007, p. 754; Walsh 2007, p. 201).

Introduction

In conjunction with completing a Master of Architecture degree and the Graduate Certificate Program in Urban and Regional Design at the University of New Mexico, the author of this report has proposed a research project to document the ecological effects of Inca architectural planning and construction. The hypothesis is that, to this day, the ecology of Peru is strengthened by the design and engineering work of the Inca civilization. This research intends to show that some of the lasting effects of their civilization include increased biodiversity, mitigated drought conditions, cleaner river water, denser plant growth, and more bountiful habitats for humans and animals.  

Sustainability is becoming a critical issue in the design and retrofitting of human settlements. According to a World Watch Institute-funded study performed in 2012, Peru is the only country in the world that could be considered sustainable (Assadourian et al. 2012). Still, drastic economic inequality and industrialized infrastructures are negatively impacting the diverse ecosystems and populations that compose the country. Solutions to some of these problems may be found within the venerable design strategies of the Inca. However, some key data and analyses are still missing from the body of research on Inca design and land use.  This information is necessary to identify with precision the ecological benefits that might be possible to replicate by employing a truly bioresponsive design strategy. 

This summer my thesis research had me travelling though the Sierra Madre Mountains in Guatemala to conduct field research on my Master’s thesis on community radio and international development. While weaving through the Highlands to various research sites on the legendary camionetas (local buses), I had three goals in mind: (1) to learn how local community development in the Guatemalan Highlands is in part facilitated through the international NGO, Cultural Survival’s Community Radio Project; (2) to understand how local issues of indigenous rights and development inform the international development goals of Cultural Survival; and (3) to observe how community radio is used as a tool in local development efforts. I approached the democratization of media, indigenous rights, alternative community-based planning, and international development using three field methodologies: (1) interviewing community radio volunteers and Cultural Survival’s Radio Project Coordinators; (2) observing community radio workshops that Cultural Survival attended; (3) listening to community radio broadcasts.