Sonia Alconini
Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 2002
Research
Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 2002
Research
I specialize in the archaeology of complex societies of the pre-Columbian World, including ancient empires and states. My particular areas of interest are settlement pattern analysis, GIS in archaeology, ethnohistory and household archaeology. During the past years, my research has focused on the Inka empire and Tiwanaku, both located in the Andes. With the Inka, my research seeks to understand not only how this ancient empire structured its frontiers, but also the effects of the Inka frontier on local populations and indigenous socioeconomic processes. My current research on the Inka frontier in the region of Charazani, Bolivia, is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Wenner Gren Foundation.
Teaching
I believe that teaching involves a constant process of learning in a challenging, interactive environment. I consider that students should not only learn the principles of archaeology, but also have 'hands-on' experience on archaeological research. In my classes I emphasize the use of simulated research and group exercises in order to promote critical thinking in the reconstruction of the past.
Representative Publications
2008 - Dis-embedded Centers and Architecture of Power in the Fringes of the Inka Empire: New Perspectives on Territorial and Hegemonic Strategies of Domination. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 27:63-81.
2004 - The Southeastern Inka Frontier Against the Chiriguanos: Structure and Dynamics of the Inka Imperial Borderlands. Latin American Antiquity 15(4):389-418.
1995 - Rito, Símbolo e Historia en la Pirámide de Akapana, Tiwanaku: un Análisis de Cerámica Ceremonial Prehispánica. Editorial Acción, La Paz-Bolivia.
