You may be finding yourself here for the first time, or for the first time in a long time. But it doesn't matter, because you're here with me reading the words I have written on an internet page.
For those of you who don't know, when I travel off on my own I write blog posts to share with my friends and family about the places I'm visiting. It's been a grand 'ol time, but we will not be returning to that old format this summer.
Because for summer 2016, I will be traveling to Huaraz, Peru to participate in real life ongoing archaeological research!!! "
What does that mean?" you ask me, confusion distorts your face.
It means my friend that I will be finally working with real human remains. If you haven't been keeping up with my life and studies, I'm currently majoring in Anthropology at Tulane University with a special interest and focus in forensics. Which means I get to study cool stuff you read about on the internet while you're supposed to be doing your organic chemistry homework. At least that's my experience with this subject. (PS I'm currently in a class called "Bioarchaeology of Mummies" and it's really super cool and you should ask me about it).
Anyway, I will be spending three weeks in the Northern Highlands excavating a site that has has allowed substantial research on the complex mortuary archaeology practices and traditions in the Ancash area of Peru.
So, before I go into more detail, if your looking for the usual lists of places I'm going to visit and standard Julia jokes, you'll only be getting half of that from here on out. While it's uncharted territory, I'll be trying to describe the interesting and new experiences I have out in the field that will be generally focused around my interactions with human remains. If that's going to freak you out and/or doesn't interest you, read no further.
So back to what I'll be doing and where and why and how.
While I'll be specifically studying death, remains like these are inseparable from the life style that found them in this place. There will be studies of lithics and ceramics, I'm hoping to work completely with bones. My time there will be organized so that I experience and engage in more than one aspect of the project: excavation, survey, ceramics lab, and bone analyses. I'll have to sit through some lectures, which may not sound fun at first, but it's all going to be about the anthropology of the area. So as my mom would say, it's right up my ally.
I will be working and living in Huari, a town 3000 meters above sea level, before continuing up into the mountains another 800 meters to where I will be camping.
Yes.
Yes, you read that right.
Camping.
For two weeks.
I only get running water for the weekends.
I have to hike there.
It's going to be a very interesting trip.
But that being said, internet will not be a readily available resource and I will post whenever I can. I haven't even decided what exactly technology I'm going to bring on this trip other than my digital camera and my father's old film camera. Fun fact: I recently started shooting on film, an art form I previously thought to be a little outdated and unnecessary turns out is really fun.I do have to say, I probably will not be posting/sharing photos of the actual remains I come in contact with out respect for the culture and site that I am just a mere visitor soon. That doesn't mean I won't have pictures, it just means you'll have to ask to see them.
Huaraz Human remains, probably
Afterwards I'm going to quickly hop over on a ten hour bus ride to Macchu Picchu, so you'll definitely see pictures of that/probably read all about whatever nonsense I encounter on the way there. Because is it really a trip with me if I don't have a weird story at the end? Probably not.
ADDITIONALLY: if you're a cool human that I know and you're gonna find yourself in Peru during the months of June and July, hit me up! I'd love to see you.
That's it for now friends, get pumped!
As always,
Julia Rose
