معرفی
Donna Nash is an Associate Professor in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University. Her research focuses on the archaeology of the Wari Empire (600–1000 CE), examining material culture, imperial strategies, and socio-political organization in ancient Andean societies. She employs multidisciplinary approaches including ceramic analysis, geochemistry, and spatial technologies to explore topics like ritual practices, craft production, and feasting economies.
Her work emphasizes the Moquegua Valley in Peru, particularly the site of Cerro Baul, where she investigates imperial enclaves, polyethnic communities, and the role of beer production in political relationships. Nash also examines obsidian utilization, pigment technologies, and the intersection between material culture and social identity. Her studies highlight how Wari elites managed resources, negotiated power dynamics, and maintained control through both material and ritual practices.
Nash’s research integrates archaeological fieldwork with laboratory analyses, contributing to broader understandings of pre-Columbian imperialism, colonialism, and socio-economic complexity. She has led projects combining GIS modeling with ground-based LiDAR to analyze ancient agricultural systems and architectural layouts, advancing methodological frameworks in Andean archaeology.
