Comment

Comment by Global Heritage Network on March 29, 2012 at 2:02pm

Human Impact: Multiple Generations Successful at Chavin de Huantar

Our most interesting impact on lives in Chavín comes from our long-term interaction with Alejandro Espinoza and his family.  Alejandro is from Chavín, humble of birth, and has worked at the site since 1996; with the help of the project's training, he has gone from simple field assistant to being the assistant director of the site.  He is now a capable conservator, expert excavator, supremely capable guide, and functioning administrator, effectively the #2 person in the site, although his Ministerio de Cultura position is still not permanent.  He continued to work with the project this year, taking leave of his government position for the duration of three months, during which time he served as Conservator-in-Charge under Conservation Director Julio Vargas.

Alejandro’s teenage son Alexander also joined the project during his extended school vacations and has now started training with the conservation team.  He proved to be a very capable field assistant, and showed every sign of following in his father’s footsteps.  At the end of the 2011 field season, Alex was accepted to the Archaeology Program in UNASAM, the Universidad Nacional Atunez de Mayolo in Huaraz, where he is now studying for a bachelor’s degree in archaeology with an emphasis on conservation.  He will be the first indigenous Chavino with a higher degree in archaeology, and all involved have great expectations for his continued role in the future of the monument of Chavín.

Both are also active as casual participants in the Ceramic Replication Project, as well.  Additionally, Alejandro’s wife is an artisan in soft stone sculpture who uses the decorations, symbols and icons discovered in our excavations.

Comment by Global Heritage Network on October 24, 2011 at 12:17pm

Two new videos about Chavin de Huantar (both in Spanish) can be viewed in the links below:

 

The first video details the latest archaeological findings at Chavin.

The second video gives you an intimate glimpse into the National Museum of Chavin at Ancash.