Allison Brown Introduction to Archaeology Dr. Toohey 17 April, 2020 Film Response #2: Peru’s City of Ghosts In the film, Peru’s City of Ghosts, a group of archaeologists led by Italian Giuseppe Orefici have explored and excavated the Nazca city of Cahuachi. In a race against time and local thieves of the site the group has been documenting and trying to piece together the mystery of one of Peru’s most technologically advanced pre-Columbian civilizations. Orefici and a team of archaeologists and anthropologists have been revisiting the site annually for the past 17 years in season to excavate the massive city-site of Cahuachi, mentioned in the documentary is that even with all of their work over the years the group only has estimated that about 1% of the total site has been excavated. The site of Cahuachi is important for archaeologists to understand the Nazca people; a pre-Columbian civilization that resided in Southern Peru and whose disappearance overtime remains a mystery, the site is one of the last places available to understand the ancient civilization. What the Nazca peoples are most notably known for are the Nazca lines, geometric figures of animals or simply lines that were believed to be ceremoniously used for worship of their gods. The lines though remain a mystery and their creation surprises archaeologists regarding their accuracy and the effort it would take to construct and execute the lines in the desert terrain. Cahuachi, besides being the best location to observe the behaviors of the Nazca, is an archaeological site worth further research not only because of its pyramids and temples, but the mystery of the city itself. It is believed that the people themselves are the ones who buried and hid the city under some of the base layers of sand and that throughout its history the city was rebuilt from time to time to fit the vision for the priests in control. Although Cahuachi doesn’t represent the common peoples of the Nazca, it offers valuable cultural and social information about the priests and the upper middle class of the society. Over the years, the artifacts available for discovery for archaeologists have lessened due to raids and thieves at the site, selling to modern day antiquarians globally. Textiles are common throughout Cahuachi, fabric spreads and ceremonial sashes can be used to place together some of the cultural proceedings of the Nazca. Ceramics also are essential in piecing together how the city of priests lived, the Nazca had no written language but ceramics with art depicted on them have offered a record of sorts and a way for archaeologists to confirm or build on theories. An example of that would be fish being depicted alongside mountains, telling the story of a people caught between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean. Additionally, markings of serpents or animals alongside people could offer insight into how and who the Nazca worshipped and even present questions on their rituals. Also found in Cahuachi is a highly advanced irrigation system with water from the Andes that was able to provide for the entire city. The system and the canals within it indicate an advanced society and a water system that is unmatched in pre-Columbian America. One of the most interesting types of information added to the archaeological record in Cahuachi is the human mummies that archaeologists and anthropologists together have been able to further understand. Preserved mummies have been found by the dozen and offer valuable insight into how the physical attributes of the society, like their height and appearance. With these bodies also comes DNA analysis that can be completed by anthropologists and other scientists in labs. The race to understand the Nazca population and the ancient city of Cahuachi is a race against time and collectors to try and piece together the puzzle of an enigmatic people, but one worth completeing.