George Lau

George Lau is Professor of Art & Archaeology of the Americas at the University of East Anglia, affiliated with the Sainsbury Research Unit. His research centers on Andean pre-Columbian societies, particularly Recuay culture (AD 200-700), divine rulership systems, and ritual landscapes in northern Peru. He directs the AHRC-funded 'Divine Lordships' project investigating early Andean polities through settlement patterns, funerary practices, and monumental art.

Lau has conducted extensive fieldwork at Recuay sites including Pashash and Yayno, documenting stone sculptures, palatial compounds, and camelid-based economies. His publications synthesize art historical and archaeological approaches to ancestor veneration, ritual offerings, and political authority. He co-edits the journal World Art and collaborates with Peruvian museums on community outreach.