Daniel Rodriguez Osorio

DANIEL RODRIGUEZ OSORIO, then a graduate student at University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas, was awarded funding in April 2023 to aid research on “Reappraising the Social and Spatial Production of Ancient Urban Infrastructure: The case of La Palma, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marca,” supervised by Dr. Steve Kosiba. This report provides a detailed overview of fieldwork activities conducted during the Grant Period for the dissertation project which investigates the social and spatial organization of ancient urban infrastructure at the archaeological site of La Palma, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Colombia). The project aimed to document organizational principles at this site, exploring urban development within supra-local communities without regional hierarchies. Through GIS-based spatial and network analysis, architectural survey, petrographic and provenance analysis, and extensive excavations, the project investigated construction practices, stone sourcing, and place-making to assess La Palma’s social and spatial structure. GIS analysis provided insights into spatial relationships, while architectural survey revealed constructive variability across La Palma’s sectors. Petrographic analysis highlighted stone preferences based on locality, and excavations yielded detailed insights into terrace construction and occupation sequences. Additionally, the project trained Colombian anthropology students, supported the local economy, and raised awareness of environmental challenges. This project and the research program to which it takes part contribute significantly to archaeological understandings of ancient urbanism in a region traditionally thought as devoid of sociopolitical complexity and urbanism. Moreover, it has broader impacts on both academic and local community, fostering training, economic growth, and environmental awareness.