Peruvian Collections Research

Today’s post from Collections Technician Zach Williams tells us about archaeological cataloging and digitization to support research use of the collection:  

The Peabody serves as a repository for cultural material from around the world, and my work cataloging often supports colleagues, descendant communities, professors, students, and researchers who are accessing these collections. Collections research visits vary and can range from viewing objects to more in-depth research analysis with analytical sampling, and everything in between.

I recently assisted one of our Collections Stewards by preparing ceramic sherds from Pachacamac, Peru for a research visit from a PhD candidate at another university.

Pachacamac, named after the “Earth Maker” creator god, was a grand city covering 1,500 acres, near modern Lima, Peru. It was a political center for the Yschma polity and a major pilgrimage destination throughout prehistory. Pachacamac flourished from CE 200 - CE 1500, with Lima, Wari, Yschma, and Inka occupations, before being conquered by the Spanish in CE 1532. 

In an effort to better understand ceramic production at Pachacamac, 55 sherds were approved for thin section petrography and neutron activation analysis. These studies are aimed at better understanding the composition and manufacture of the ceramic. Preparation for this research visit included updating and creating database records (illustrated below) for each of the 55 sherds, photographing each sherd through the various stages of analysis, and labeling each sherd with its catalog number using inert materials and a specialized reversible method of attachment.

While this process is fairly straight forward, it is critical that each step is documented and follows the object through analysis. By setting these systems in place, we ensure that the entire life cycle of the object is documented and tracked, and ready for research and analysis, now and in the future!

Author: Zach Williams, Collections Technician