THE BREVARD COLLEGE FIELD TRIP TO BOLIVIA AND PERU: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY FOCUS ON GEOLOGY AND ARCHAEOLOGY

Eighteen Brevard College students and three faculty traveled to Bolivia and Peru during their 2006 Spring break. The trip served as the field component for Geology 270/Art History 290 titled Geology and Archaeology of the Americas. The interdisciplinary General Education course relates Geology to the indigenous cultures of the Americas during its regular weekly meetings and then visits one of the areas discussed in class.

This year's trip focused on the Tiwanaku and Inca cultures. Accompanied by an indigenous, Aymara-speaking guide, the group acclimated to the high elevation with a geological/cultural tour of La Paz, the Bolivian capital upon arrival. The next day a visit to the Tiwanaku archaeological site wove the indigenous religion to the sacred mountains of the Cordillera Real that tower above the Altiplano. The strong environmental orientation of the culture provided a wisdom that spanned the centuries.

Two days were spent on Lake Titicaca visiting the Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna. Students observed alignments of the various temples with key mountains in the distant ranges. The local structure, stratigraphy, and hydrology were critical to the development of the sites and their ubiquitous terraced fields.

A long bus ride transported the group to the seat of the Inca culture at Cusco, Peru. From there, a day was spent touring the ruins of the Valle Sagrado, including those at Pisac and Ollantaytambo. Discussion varied between tectonics, glaciations, sources of building stones, and methods of transporting the blocks to the sites. The following day the group traveled by bus and train to the spectacular ruins at Machu Picchu. Emphasis was placed on the components of Inca culture that evolved in response to the local environment.

In addition to experiencing field geology and archaeology for the first time, students benefited from the exposure to two Latin American/ indigenous cultures. For many it was a first international experience.