On-Site Expeditions
Come Learn How Visual Anthropology Is Practiced To Document & Assist In Preserving Ancient & Modern Day Cultures
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Learn How Visual Anthropology Is Used On Archaeological Sites
 Shaman who took us on a Pago into the mountains above Cusco.
Archaeological site management is often a complex task involving many stakeholder groups that define the value of the location differently. Archaeologists may value a site for it's ability to tell us about the evolution of human cultures. However, people living on the active archaeological site tend to value the ground and buildings from the day-to-day perspective of living on the site.
Around the world, archeological site managers find themselves torn between present-day concerns of residents versus the value of the site to contribute to our understanding of world cultures. The question becomes who's values are most important? The community that lives on the site and wants to modernize or the preservation of sites for world heritage? On-Site Expeditions are travel experiences designed to explore this paradox. We take both graduate students and interested adults into the field to learn about the role visual anthropologists can play in documenting cultures, recording oral history and using today's media tools (video, apps, & virtual reality) to document these ancient sites for humanity. |
Learn How Visual Anthropology Can Be A Tool On An Archaeological Site.Our 2020 project takes our skills as visual anthropologists to the UNESCO world heritage site of Saqsaywaman, Peru. We are working the the Ministry of Culture and the communities of Fortaleza, Huayllarchocha, and Pucara to determine if ethnographic film can be of value as a way to mediate conflict among stakeholders on this site.
On-Site Expeditions is proud to bring our skills as filmmakers to this project so we can document the reality of heritage management on an active archaeological zone from both the perspective of the Ministry and the indigenous Quecha population living on the site. |
A Different Way To Explore The World
ON-SITE EXPEDITIONS is a field school for both university students and adult explorers who want to learn about world heritage sites. Selected adult participants will join our visual anthropologists on active research sites to experience exploring indigenous cultures and gaining knowledge about world heritage. Graduate students, recommended by various universities, will be provided scholarships to attend three week hybrid field programs to learn visual anthropological techniques.
Curriculum will differ each session and will include a mix of project management skills, daily filming planning, in-situ research execution (from the moral considerations of documenting "the other" to filming logistics, media archiving and management, ethnographic film analysis and production, and multimedia research reporting.
CONTACT MAREN ELWOOD TO DISCUSS BEING CONSIDERED FOR OUR PROGRAM: melwood44@gmail.com 831.238.5503
Curriculum will differ each session and will include a mix of project management skills, daily filming planning, in-situ research execution (from the moral considerations of documenting "the other" to filming logistics, media archiving and management, ethnographic film analysis and production, and multimedia research reporting.
CONTACT MAREN ELWOOD TO DISCUSS BEING CONSIDERED FOR OUR PROGRAM: melwood44@gmail.com 831.238.5503
THE ADULT PROGRAM: We plan to fund our graduate scholarships partially by taking our adult learners into the field. We will ask each adult participant to make a donation to our non-profit program ($3000 per adult/$3500 per couple) so we can fund a student as well. Selected adults will be put through a training program before they go into the field with our site professionals. Each adult will also be responsible for their travel expenses. Each adult experience will include time on an active site alongside an anthropologist. Additionally, there will be time for special tourist activity designed into the expedition.
THE GRADUATE STUDENT PROGRAM: Each year, starting in January 2020, we will have two field school sessions. One in January and the other in July. Two to four students will be sponsored each year (across the two sessions) to join our field school where they will learn the various skills associated with visual anthropology on an active archaeological site. Students must be referred by a university professor. That application will be online starting mid-2019.
Initially, we will explore sites in Peru in and around Cusco and the Sacred Valley. We will branch out to other sites starting in 2020.
THE GRADUATE STUDENT PROGRAM: Each year, starting in January 2020, we will have two field school sessions. One in January and the other in July. Two to four students will be sponsored each year (across the two sessions) to join our field school where they will learn the various skills associated with visual anthropology on an active archaeological site. Students must be referred by a university professor. That application will be online starting mid-2019.
Initially, we will explore sites in Peru in and around Cusco and the Sacred Valley. We will branch out to other sites starting in 2020.
Saqsaywaman, Cusco,
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Machu Picchu
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Tiwanaku & PumaPunku
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Visual Anthropologist
Maren Elwood M.S. / Producer On Location: Saqsaywaman, Peru |
Andean Specialist /
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Project Covenio Secured 2019
Ministry of Culture Parque de Saqsaywaman Park Director: Francisco Solis Diaz |
Visual Anthropologist Filmmaker
Dalton Gaudin M.S. / Cinematographer On Location: Saqsaywaman, Peru |
Quecha Translator /
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Project Administrator /
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Media Archive
As visual anthropologists, we produce film about our project. Here are a few videos that will tell you what we are up to. If you are interested in learning more about our project and how to get involved, please contact Maren Elwood at melwood44@gmail.com.
Tribute to Paola Quispe Ramos - one of our study participants who recently passed away.
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Recap of our research as of January 2019.
Pachamama ritual early in 2019.
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