Sarah Bennison

Dr Sarah Bennison is a Research Fellow and Coordinator at the University of St Andrews, affiliated with the Department of Social Anthropology. She holds roles in multiple institutions, including the Global Research Centre for Diverse Intelligences (since 2024), STACEES (2021–2022), and the School of Geography and Sustainable Development (2022). Her research focuses on Andean societies, particularly irrigation customs, water governance, and indigenous ontologies in Huarochirí, Peru. She completed a PhD in Latin American Studies at Newcastle University (2016) and has conducted over a decade of fieldwork in the region. Bennison’s work bridges anthropology, history, and environmental studies, with publications in Anthropological Linguistics, Latin American Research Review, and Indiana.

Her research interests include ritual management of water, khipus (Andean knotted cords), and the intersection of indigenous knowledge with colonial and modern legal frameworks. She has led projects funded by the Leverhulme Trust and UKRI, exploring topics like climate change in northern Peru and Inca legal codes. Bennison also advocates for disability inclusion and research ethics, co-founding the Early Career Women's Network at St Andrews (2017–2020). Her recent book The Entablo Manuscript (2023) examines water rituals and sacred texts in San Pedro de Casta. Current work emphasizes collaborative research and making academic knowledge accessible to broader audiences.