THE CHACHAPOYA: MUMMIES & MAUSOLEUMS IN THE HIGH JUNGLE OF THE ANDES with Daniel Fernandez-Davila
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 7:30 p.m. at the Wayland Public Library
“Chachapoya” is a name that is rarely found in archaeological texts. Encompassing an area of at least 50,000 square kilometers inside of the tropical cloud forest in the north high jungle of Peru, its settlements resemble some of the Mayan ruins uncovered at the end of the 19th century. This Pre-Inca civilization, until recently overlooked by field researchers, left countless sites behind that are now covered by thick vegetation. Today, spectacular findings are changing classical hypotheses about the ancient dwellers of this remote area of the Andes. Daniel Fernandez-Davila is making important contributions toward increasing archaeologists’ understanding of this area.
A native of Peru, Fernandez-Davila is an active archaeologist who has conducted excavations and mapping projects throughout the Andes. He is frequently called into the field to preside over documentaries for the Discovery Channel and the BBC on Andean ancient civilizations. He also has 17 years of teaching experience at all levels and is currently a social studies teacher at Wayland Middle School where he brings his work in the field to the lessons he teaches to lucky Wayland students.
He obtained his B.A. in Archaeology and Diploma of Anthropological Studies from Catholic University in Lima, and his M.A. in Archaeology and Ancient Heritage from the University of Leicester in England.
This is the first of this season’s GREAT PRESENTERS SERIES sponsored by the Wayland Public Library.
