Dr. Danielle Kurin, former Assistant Professor and then tenured Associate Professor of Bioarchaeology at the University of California in Santa Barbara, focuses her research on ancient Latin American civilizations. One of Dr. Danielle Kurin’s projects involved analyzing human skeletons from the Chanka civilization in the Sondor region through the Andahuaylas Bioarchaeology Project.
According to scholars, the Chanka were warriors who lived in the Andean region from the 11th to the 15th century. From archaeological digs, researchers have pieced together some parts of this civilization’s narrative. Evidence of hilltop fortresses used to wall out enemies indicates that the society engaged in warfare frequently.
Researchers hope to gain more insight into what might have happened to this society through the study of human skeletons from the period. Referred to as osteological analysis, this process can assist in making discoveries related to migration patterns, the types of violence the people endured, and types of diseases they contracted. Dental examination can shed light on dietary habits and overall health.
Investigators are looking into multiple theories that explain the disappearance of this culture after conquest by the Incas. Some records indicate the society left or all its members were killed; others state that the Chankas were resettled or simply assimilated into the dominant culture.
Danielle Kurin 