From Conquest to Colony: The Early Colonial Period in Peru

Peru’s early colonial history is generally viewed from the perspective of the Europeans who invaded the region and documented their conquests. Recent archaeological studies, however, are revealing new insights into the experiences of Indigenous and other peoples who lived during this turbulent period. Archaeologist Jeffrey Quilter will discuss findings of the first in-depth archaeological and historical study of a colonial Peruvian town documented in his new book, Magdalena de Cao (Peabody Museum Press, 2021) highlighting how they are advancing our understanding of encounters between Spaniards, Andeans, and others. Discoveries at Magdalena de Cao include everyday clothing, Chinese porcelains, playing cards, a letter written in a lost language, and the earliest human remains of an enslaved African in South America.

About the Speaker

Jeffrey Quilter served as Director of Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology from 2012 to 2019. He was also Director of Pre-Columbian Studies and Curator of the Pre-Columbian Collection at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C. (1995–2005) and a professor at Ripon College, Wisconsin (1980–1995). His archaeological research has focused mostly on Peru and Costa Rica. He has written six books, including Magdalena de Cao, and edited twelve.