On Friday, February 7, 12-1 p.m., UMMAA doctoral candidate Lauren Pratt will speak in Room 2218, School of Education Building, as part of the UMMAA Brown Bag Lecture Series.

Pratt will discuss a microscopic use-wear analysis of the lithic assemblages of Ceramic Period prehistoric sites in Chachapoyas, Peru. After a brief review of the state of lithic studies in Peruvian archaeology, she will describe the results of the low-power use-wear study, including the production of a comparative experimental collection. By contextualizing these results with other lines of evidence, she will discuss conclusions that may be drawn regarding subsistence and cultural behaviors at each site. In particular, she will highlight raw material acquisition and selection, which offer tantalizing insights into possible ceremonial behaviors in prehistoric Chachapoyas.  

The Museum’s Brown Bag Lecture Series is free and open to the public.