Chan Chan Archaeology Dig—Peru—June 7-14, 2026

Join Archaeologist and National Geographic Explorer Gabriel Prieto to excavate at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Chan Chan, Peru!

Excavations at Chan Chan have been ongoing since 1969, yet the daily lives of its residents and skilled artisans remain a fascinating mystery waiting to be uncovered. While the grand palaces may capture the eye, most people lived in bustling southern and western neighborhoods that once sheltered more than 30,000 inhabitants. Of these, an estimated 10-20% were talented artisans—metalsmiths and weavers whose craftsmanship shaped the city’s culture as evidenced by fine textiles and gold, silver, and copper objects that have been unearthed during previous excavations.

On this incredible itinerary, you’ll work alongside Dr. Prieto to excavate two houses nestled in one of these neighborhoods. You’ll be looking for hearths, trash pits, ritual offerings, and a wealth of scattered artifacts intertwined with layers from earlier occupations. Your work will shed light on how these homes were arranged and how their layouts evolved over time.

The ultimate goal is to get a better understanding of the residential component at Chan Chan, and to learn more about how common people lived in one of the largest urban settlements in the Americas. In this process, we are interested in learning about the diet, craft production, domestic life, and household ritual practices of the Chimu people.

You will spend four days excavating at Chan Chan under the supervision of Dr. Prieto and his professional team

• Your work will include excavating to clear walls, dig through mud floors and soft fills, sifting soil and labelling all of your discoveries.
• You can expect to discover artifacts from prehistoric households such as textiles, ceramic vessels and fragments, metal objects, and organic materials such as carved bones, wood and gourds in addition to human remains.
• All the artifacts you work on will undergo conservation at the Laboratory of Archaeology and Conservation at the University of Trujillo, under the permits of the Ministry of Culture in Peru.

Dr. Prieto himself hails from Huanchaco where he has conducted excavations and studied the lives and ritualized human violence of the ancient cultures of the Chimú and Moche people who lived in and around Huanchaco from 1100 BC to AD 650.

Dr. Prieto made international headlines in 2018 when he discovered the 500-year-old remains of 200 llamas and 140 children, the victims of a mass ritual sacrifice at the Chimú site of Huanchaquito-Las Llamas.
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Join Dr. Prieto, the world authority on ritual sites of the Moche Valley on this all-inclusive itinerary:

• 4 days of excavation at Chan Chan working directly with Dr. Prieto
• Guided visits to the archaeological sites of El Brujo, Huaca de la Luna y del Sol and Dr. Prieto’s Archaeology and Conservation Lab at the University of Trujillo
• 7 nights accommodations
• Breakfast and packed lunch each day
• Welcome and farewell dinners, ceviche and pisco making class
• Round-trip airfare from Lima to Trujillo