Tarapaca Valley Archaeological Project

The Tarapaca area in Chile contains extensive and diverse archaeological remains in one the most breathtaking regions of South America. This archaeological program allows students to study the history of human adaptation to one of the world's driest areas, the Pampa del Tamarugal (Atacama Desert). The valley is just 100 kilometers east of Iquique, a modern city of 200,000 people located on Chile's northern coast. The Tarapaca area is a beautiful desert oases with a classic southern Andean river cutting through the desert. The area is also home to one of the densest concentration of landscape art anywhere in south America– forming both anthropological and geometric designs in various scales, from miniature rock art to geoglyphs covering entire hillsides. The Tarapaca Archaeological Project is a bi-national research project (Chile-California) and has its field headquarters at San Lorenzo de Tarapaca, the colonial capital of the Tarapaca region. As part of an academic research, students will have the opportunity to participate in ongoing research project and cooperate in survey, excavation, and laboratory duties. Students will get to know the Tarapaca area at sites covering over 8,000 years of human occupation. Because of its aridity, all types of materials preserve at local sites, including organics, textiles, pottery, and food remains, making the archaeological experience there one of the most rewarding anywhere. While at Tarapaca, students will get to know and work with Chilean archaeologists, students and the local community. At the conclusion of the field season, students will be gain great appreciation to the rich cultural patrimony of Chile, both past and present.