Sophie E Reilly

How does the imposition of imperial systems impact local food security? This project seeks to answer this this question at Purun Llaqta del Maino (PLM), an archaeological site in Chachapoyas, northern Peru. Like many Andean regions, Chachapoyas was colonized in the 16th and 17th centuries by the Inka and Spanish in quick succession. By employing a framework of food security, this project will investigate how imperial impositions impacted food availability and access at PLM. To investigate this issue, the project will analyze ancient plant remains to trace the acquisition, production, and consumption of plant foods over time. It will also employ soil chemistry analysis to locate and identify food-related activity areas. By tracing food availability and access, this project will investigate how food security at PLM was co-constituted by both imperial structures and local strategies. In doing so, it will contribute to emerging archaeological study of food security and to the archaeology that puts Indigenous experiences and action at the centre of narratives of colonization.