The North Coast of Peru, and especially the Lambayeque Region, has long been regarded as one of the primary cultural centers of the ancient civilization of the Andes which is. ranked among the five great ancient civilizations of the world. Initial excavations at Huaca del Pueblo Batán Grande (HPBG), were carried out under the auspices of Princeton University. From 1979-1983, this interdisciplinary archaeological project aimed to establish the regional cultural chronology through systematic stratigraphic excavations. Their pioneering excavations defined over 40 habitational floors dating from ca. 650 CE to the modern era. The project established the chronological backbone of the region and that of the Sicán polity (aka Lambayeque) that built dozens of monumental temples and dominated the area until the arrival of the Wari, Chimú and later Inka.

Among the most important discoveries was evidence of earliest intensive arsenical bronze technology and its evolution from ca. 900 to 1100 CE, the time when bronze tools replaced stone and pure copper tools.  They also found indications of in situ pottery making and recorded how the quality and materials for house constructions (e.g., wattle-and-daub or sun-dried adobe bricks) and human burial offerings mirrored the ebb and flow of different cultures.  Although these initial excavations transformed our understanding of northern North Coast chronology, we still know remarkably little about life in the rural periphery and the interconnections between the everyday communities, and the impressive monumental centers found throughout the Lambayeque region.

This year, we return to HPBG to close that gap. Our main goal is to understand how ordinary communities lived, worked, and interacted with major regional centers like Tambo Real, the Sicán Archaeological Complex and Tucumé. Based on the early excavations at HPBG, we expect to encounter a diverse array of well-preserved remains to shed light on long-term habitation of the site, including human burials, food residues (animals and plants), bone, stone and metal tools, all of which will add to our broader understanding of Lambayeque’s dynamic social, political, economic and cultural past.

All field school directors are experts in their field and passionate about their work. To discuss the suitability of this program for your career goals – whether within or outside academia – you are invited to contact the directors directly. For a broader discussion which ARC program to choose, you are welcome to contact our staff directly – you can do that through our “Contact Us” page.

Assistant Research Professor, Department of Anthropology, Northern Arizona University; Researcher, Radiant Center for Remote Sensing

Distinguish Professor Emeritus, Department of Anthropology at the Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Researcher at the Sicán National Museum

• Application: You must apply online for this program – application is free
• Deposit: A $300 nonrefundable deposit (part of the total tuition cost) is required to secure a space in the program
• Credit Card Fee: Payments with credits cards incur 3% processing fee
• Late Fee: A $100 Late Fee will be added to the program costs if tuition is not paid in full by payment deadline
• Cancellation Policy: Carefully read our Cancellation Policy before committing to attending our programs
• Trip Cancellation Insurance: Trip cancellation insurance is not provided by ARC. Such policies have changed due to Covid 19. If you wish to purchase an insurance policy that covers pandemic contingencies, explore Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) plans. Insuremytrip or Travel Guard are possible websites where you may explore different insurance policies.

Students and staff members will live in the project field house in Batan Grande, Peru, which is approximately 50 kilometers NE from the City of Chiclayo. Conditions are excellent and students will share their rooms at the field house.

Food will be prepared by the project staff and include hearty regional cuisine prepared by our local chef, with local ingredients – typically a three-course meal consisting of an appetizer/soup, a main course of chicken, beef, pork or seafood, and a healthy vegetable side dish or salad. Given the relatively small size of the town of Batan Grande and the local traditional cuisine, this program will not be able to accommodate any special diets (Kosher, Halal, etc.), but we are able to prepare healthy vegetarian or nut-free meals. Students must be prepared to challenge their food paradigms as Lambayeque regional cuisine is a source of pride and cultural heritage.

We suggest you hold purchasing your airline ticket until six (6) weeks prior to departure date. Natural disasters, political changes, weather conditions and a range of other factors may require the cancelation of a program. The ARC typically takes a close look at local conditions 6-7 weeks prior to program beginning and makes a Go/No Go decision by then. Such time frame still allows for the purchase of competitively priced airline tickets, while protecting students from potential loss of ticket costs if the ARC is forced to cancel this program.

Students will meet with project staff members on Sunday, the first day of the field school, at 12:00pm at Chiclayo International Airport (CIX). We will meet at the upstairs restaurant on the second floor, just outside the arrival space. CIX is a small airport so participants should have no problem getting there.

There are no special visa requirements for U.S. citizens travelling to Peru, as long as you do not stay longer than 3 months. Passport’s expiration date should exceed the stay by at least 3 months.

Citizens of other countries are asked to check the Peruvian Embassy website page at their home country for specific visa requirements.