Matthew Velasco

Matthew Velasco is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Cornell University, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. He specializes in bioarchaeology and Andean prehistory, focusing on the late prehispanic period (AD 1000-1532) in the Peruvian Andes.

• Ph.D. in Anthropology, Vanderbilt University (2016)

His research examines how social identity, conflict, and state formation were embodied through skeletal remains, cranial modification, and mortuary practices during the Inka imperial expansion. Key themes include:

• Novel mortuary traditions and social memory
• Differential health and violence exposure
• Ethnogenesis in multi-ethnic societies

Supported by the Wenner-Gren Foundation, Ford Foundation, and National Science Foundation, his work integrates:

• Archaeological and ethnohistoric data
• Bioarchaeological and isotopic analyses
• Community-engaged fieldwork in Peru

He directs Proyecto Bio-arqueológico Coporaque and collaborates on Proyecto Machu Llaqta, addressing prehispanic social status and foodways.