Sophie E Reilly

How does the imposition of imperial systems impact local food security? This project worked 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. This research analyzed archaeological plant remains to trace continuity and change in the plant foods that people ate at PLM during before and during periods of Inka and Spanish imperial occupation. Preliminary results indicate continued consumption of Andean crops through the Spanish colonial occupation. These include a persistence in the consumption of maize and in using maize as part of offerings to ancestors. These findings are important because they suggest continuity in how inhabitants cared for deceased members of their community even through periods of religious impositions. Wenner-Gren funding supported archaeological fieldwork in Peru, sample analysis, and student training.