Archaeologists often seem to work in exotic parts of the world. In part, this is because we are interested in the richness and variation of the past everywhere in the world. Also, there are some questions that can only be answered in a few areas of the world, for example questions relating to the origins of agriculture and civilization. The preservation of the archaeological record is better in some places, such as deserts, peat bogs, and the arctic, than in others. I work in South America ­ Peru and Ecuador ­ for all those reasons, but also for the accident of having had the opportunity as a student to participate in a "dig" in Peru; I fell in love with the country, its people, and its past.

What seems exotic at first quickly becomes much more familiar as one learns about the other culture. For me, learning was facilitated by working with Peruvian and Ecuadorian colleagues and students, chatting with farmers, mechanics and shopkeepers, and invitations to many social occasions ranging from tea with the local librarian to church festivals and children's birthday parties. In a culture in which hospitality has, since long before Columbus, been a fundamental virtue, foreigners are often treated quite generously. But the warmth of the reception increases still as you become known. In Peru, in fact, the phrase "a known person" signifies a person in whom you can have confidence and confidence allows true friendship. My research has been guided by my training in Anthropology and the questions of the local people. Some 20 years ago I was working in Huamachuco, a small town in the highlands of Peru which is surrounded by impressive ruins with buildings still standing two and three stories high. While very proud of their ruins, the townspeople were uncertain of what the ruins meant in terms of their heritage. They wanted to find out who their ancestors were and asked me repeatedly if they were descended from the Incas or the Mochicas, referring to two of the most famous ancient cultures of Peru. Peruvians have a strong sense of identity with their prehispanic past and are taught about the archaeology of the country in primary school. The archaeology of Huamachuco, however, was not well known at the time. By asking about the Incas and Mochicas, our friends in Huamachuco wanted to know if they were related to the Incas, who dominated the Andes from their capital in Cuzco 1000 km to the south, or whether they were related to the Mochicas, who lived in the lowlands just 100 km to the west. During several seasons of research we were able to document the importance of the local Huamachuco cultural tradition. As a result, Huamachuco began to be recognized, first in Peruvian university texts and now in the local curriculum, as a distinct culture which played an important role in the development of Andean civilization.

The prehispanic past has recently inspired a pageant which is put on as part of the annual town festival and which draws thousands of spectators to Huamachuco. The central figure in the pageant is Catequil, a deity with many different aspects. Catequil was related to thunder and lightning, heavy rain, and rapidly flowing water; he was also an oracle who answered questions put to him by the people. My current research is a study of Catequil using both colonial documents and archaeological excavation. We have located his shrine and shown how his priests manipulated the flow of water in ceremonial canals in order to announce his prognostications. One of the Inca kings was a devotee of Catequil and spread his cult to Ecuador, 1000 km to the north. We have found seven springs in Ecuador that are named after Catequil and some still have ritual importance. People bathe in them to cure various illnesses and leave offerings of flowers, fruit, candles, and cigarettes.

While the research addresses general questions, such the nature of early political complexity and the role of religion in the spread of empire, I find the opportunity to interact with the local people as satisfying as the intellectual endeavor, and it is often more fun. A couple of years ago, for example, I was invited to the grand opening of a new cantina in town and, along with the mayor and other local dignitaries, I was asked to autograph the wall. In Huamachuco I am as much a celebrity as hockey players are here!