Laura Steele

PhD
Anthropology

Research Title : Spanish Colonialism and the Indigenous Argentinean Diet

Laura Steele, a PhD student in the Department of Anthropology – Archaeology, traveled to Buenos Aires and San Rafael, Argentina in the summer of 2017 to research how Spanish colonial rule impacted indigenous diets in Argentina.  Laura’s research tests two hypotheses about the impact of Spanish colonization on indigenous Argentinians: (1) the indigenous camelid relationship was equivalent under Inkan and Spanish rule, as at Malata in Peru; and (2) the indigenous-camelid relationship shifted drastically from the Inkan to Spanish rule, with camelids becoming a less important part of the diet. To investigate this, Laura accessed previously collected and well-curated zooarchaeological assemblages, intending to identify faunal collections. Laura’s research serves as a critical step in developing her dissertation research proposal.