Nino Vadick del Solar Velarde is a prominent Peruvian archaeologist specializing in the study of pre-Columbian archaeological materials and cultural heritage management. His academic training has been developed between Peru and France: he earned his Ph.D. in Archaeological Sciences from Bordeaux III University and CNRS (2016), an M.A. in Humanities and Social Sciences (2012), and a B.A. in Archaeology from the National University of San Antonio Abad del Cusco (2009).
Throughout his career, Dr. del Solar Velarde has focused on archaeological research using multidisciplinary approaches and advanced analytical methods to study Andean materials—especially ceramics, pigments, rocks, and soils—with a particular emphasis on the Marcavalle, Moche, Wari, and Inca civilizations.
Currently, he serves as Director of the National Archaeological Park of Machu Picchu and Coordinator of Archaeological Research in Machu Picchu under Peru's Ministry of Culture. He has co-edited important collective volumes such as Archaeometry: Analytical Studies of Archaeological Materials, and has published in high-impact journals.
Dr. del Solar Velarde represents a new generation of Peruvian archaeologists who integrate scientific rigor with a deep commitment to research, preservation, management, interpretation, mediation, and valorization of the country's cultural heritage.
- Archaeology is a fascinating and surprising discipline. How did your interest in it arise? Why specifically pre-Columbian times rather than other periods?
My interest in archaeology began when I was young. As a child, my father—a avid reader of world history and culture—would pack some sandwiches and hats into backpacks and take us on excursions around the city of Cusco, where pre-Incan and Incan sites still stand today, many with domestic architecture and others with monumental structures. Walking through these places, I was amazed by the materials from the past that had been preserved for several centuries or even millennia, and by the populations well-adapted to the climatic and geographic conditions of the region. On the other hand, not far from my parents' home, about a kilometer away, there was an archaeological site called Marcavalle, which is chronologically linked to the Cusco Formative period, with occupations between 1000 BCE and 600 BCE. I would have to cross this site daily when going shopping or running errands. Although the site does not feature monumental architecture, it had a significant amount of surface ceramics (we now know that these materials correspond to some of the earliest pottery productions in the Cusco region and that Marcavalle was one of the first villages that would later become the capital of the Inca State and eventually the current city of Cusco). Every time I walked through this site as a child, I was amazed by the forms, decorations, finishes, and other material aspects of the surface ceramics. I enjoyed taking field notes, trying to measure fragments, roughly drawing artifacts, and reading about local archaeology in the library my parents had at home, which has since been periodically expanded and now contains some interesting volumes for current study and knowledge of Andean pre-Hispanic past.
Now, being surrounded by regional archaeological materiality and having access to specialized literature was key to my interest in knowing and researching the pre-Columbian world. In this sense, analyzing my vocation, I took the timely decision to study archaeology at Cusco, the capital of American archaeology, at the National University of San Antonio Abad del Cusco. Subsequently, I received a scholarship from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru in Lima, the capital of Peru, to take undergraduate courses in the same field. At both institutions, professors were key as they laid the foundation for my vocation and fostered curiosity and rigor in research, management, protection, mediation, and dissemination of the importance of Peruvian archaeological materials, which are not only important per se, but also because they give some form of identity to the nation. Finally, the search for specialization and professional improvement led me to think about new academic horizons, taking the right decision to further my education in Europe in fields such as archaeometry, applied sciences, collection management, and heritage mediation through postgraduate studies at French academia, an internationally recognized institution for its humanism and high valuation of knowledge, education, and arts.
- In your extensive curriculum, the work you do as head of the Department of Archaeological Research at the National Archaeological Park of Machu Picchu stands out. What are the main challenges you face? How does being a World Heritage Site affect archaeological practice?
While Andean archaeology faces various issues, it also has unique possibilities and potentials. I think there are many challenges that research in Machu Picchu faces, of which three can be highlighted. The first challenge is to know in greater detail the technological aspects of ceramic productions within the archaeological park, which includes Machu Picchu and sixty other sites. Research initiatives have largely come from North American academia, with significant advances and proposals that allow us to think about the coexistence of imported and local pottery production during pre-Columbian times. Precisely, our contribution to this discussion comes from less monumental but more complexly chronological sites than Machu Picchu, which had pre-Incan occupations. The second challenge is to refine, through cutting-edge technology and advanced statistics, the absolute chronology of pre-Incan and Incan occupation in the park. This work has been driven by international cooperation projects with European institutions. Finally, the third challenge is to improve our scientific knowledge about the use and function of monuments located along the Inca road network within the PANM. While conservation and valorization interventions have been key in proposing possible uses and activities around Machu Picchu, we believe that we should begin focusing on each monument and continue developing specific research projects in their sectors with the aim to reveal their origins and chronology, changes in their architectural expressions over time, and how spaces functioned based on surface material remains or excavations.
Regarding the second question, I believe that being a World Heritage Site positively affects archaeological practice at the park for several reasons. On one hand, exposing Machu Picchu to the world as a unique space due to its cultural and natural characteristics has allowed various international research teams from the United States, Italy, Poland, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Belize, Spain, France, among others, to actively participate in knowledge exchange, registration, investigation, and conservation of park monuments. Currently, these cooperations allow that Machu Picchu's importance, strictly academically speaking, is sustained over time. On the other hand, being recognized as a World Heritage Site makes Peruvian state institutions regulating and participating in cultural and natural components' conservation within the park—such as Peru's Ministry of Culture and Environment—coordinate efforts and work actively and highly coordinated. Additionally, with other technical and political actors competent within the park, such as local and regional governments, as well as supranational bodies constantly evaluating implemented technical actions like UNESCO, archaeological practice is developed with greater supervision and rigor considering the fragility of the heritage present in the place.
- Recently, an investigation was initiated against some influencers for improper use of Llaqta for commercial purposes, which is strictly prohibited. How does Machu Picchu protect itself from falling into "commercialization" or trivialization that other world heritage sites have suffered?
Machu Picchu, due to its importance, characteristics, and unique and exceptional values, internationally represents Peru's image. Protecting Machu Picchu and other World Heritage Sites in the country from commercialization is a tough and quite complex task. An analysis of our experience at the head of Machu Picchu allows us to propose that the first and main way to act is through education at different scales and contexts. At local and national levels, education from primary grades to university level is key and must be reinforced considering the concept that heritage (material and intangible) is a source of identity, knowledge, and social continuity. Its sustainable tourism use and management are equally important for regional economic development as long as conservation takes priority. Internationally, education through sensitization continues to constitute a safe and sensible path for visitors to know that Machu Picchu was not only an Incan royal estate but also constitutes a sacred space for the local and national society. Second, working against the commercialization or trivialization of Machu Picchu is reinforced by strengthening strategic communication actions. Through these actions, we can publicize the current national regulations for monument visits as preventive activity, informing that it's not just an architecturally unique site but also has intrinsic values associated with what many cultural immaterial specialists call Andean sacredness. As mentioned earlier, Machu Picchu is not only a unique site due to its archaeological, architectural or engineering values but represents a space with intangible cultural values associated with the worship of harmony between nature and human production in the Andes.
- In addition to intervening at Machu Picchu, you have participated in numerous archaeological sites. Which one would you choose from them? Why?
I've had the luck of working and/or cooperating on many sites before Machu Picchu. Each site is important as they are unique learning, feedback, and professional training spaces. If I were to choose one, it would be a difficult decision but I believe I'd choose the Marcavalle site. As mentioned earlier, Marcavalle and its ceramics were key in vocational decisions I made and when we excavated there almost a decade ago, we expanded knowledge about the first village's functioning and occupation in Cusco Valley millennia before the Inca city came to light. This group of early inhabitants from 1000 BCE occupied a unique space by the Cachimayo river, exploiting local salt sources, domesticating camelids and corn, working obsidian, producing and importing ceramics. With highly skilled national professionals in this early development context, we've managed to analyze with new technologies and perspectives the first regional pottery productions, characterized the earliest ritual manifestations in village contexts, and satisfactorily identified body modification behaviors, advancing concretely on knowledge of this period. I wouldn't want to close my answer without mentioning that currently, through international cooperation relations, we're working particularly enthusiastically and fortunately at multi-component sites along Vilcanota river's right bank between Piscacucho and Qoriwayrachina within Machu Picchu National Park where the knowledge obtained in Marcavalle has been key for proposing occupation hypotheses and permanence of trade networks from early periods.
- Given your education, you've known the academic reality of America and Europe. What would you highlight about it? How do both worlds differ and come together?
Undoubtedly, participating in American and European academia has been an important asset in my intellectual career path. I could highlight that knowing both realities allowed me to observe the main currents, mechanisms, strategies, methodologies, problems, and even administrative treatment linked to archaeological practice more specifically and reflectively. Not less importantly, I think that academic realities in these worlds are, in a way, a reflection of their societies with their strengths, weaknesses, peculiarities, and particularities. Knowing such realities has undoubtedly allowed me to forge a character, personality, and individuality that incorporates the best of both universes. Furthermore, I would highlight the importance of generating a profound human bond, always universal, felt in both realities. This bond allows me to participate in international collaborative and cooperative work generation as an intermediary with several languages at my disposal for the benefit of Peruvian heritage.
Now, both worlds naturally have some differences. For example, there are still contrasts in access to better logistics and equipment, as well as in how scientific development is perceived and valued as part of national interest. Thanks to international cooperation and information access, these differences are increasingly less evident and noticeable. Finally, it's generally known that Europe has seen many social, political, and cultural changes where archaeology has made significant strides towards integrating into the experimental sciences field without major conflict. America, on the other hand, is a world where, despite globalization trends, one can still access knowledge of past techniques and forms, which allows privileged access to traditional society knowledge.
- In many European universities, Andean cultures are considered exotic. To what extent is this idea wrong or correct?
This idea isn't necessarily incorrect if we understand the definition of exotic as something that comes from a distant and different country or culture, or something strange, unusual, or uncommon. I would think that currently, this phenomenon is actually reciprocal, since the same would happen in Andean archaeological academia when discussing or analyzing early ceramic developments on Spain's Mediterranean coasts or classical mechanisms for exploiting lithic raw materials in French Pyrenees. The notion of exoticism would then be fundamentally bidirectional. Now, from a set of discussions, conversations, and academic encounters, I've understood that the Andean world, due to its highly complex geography, varied and multiple ecosystems, and especially its distance from the old world, is seen or has an aura of singularity without this implying in any way positive or negative aspects. From experience in both worlds and being generally known, it's pertinent to note that academic formations on Andean cultures in European universities are of high quality, although naturally not very numerous: in many cases, as is usual, local and regional archaeologies are more present in European classrooms than those from other latitudes and longitudes of the world. Now, communication tools and agile and fast knowledge exchange through the internet make academic communities of both worlds connect with greater efficiency, which allows Andean developments to be increasingly known and accessible academically.
- Is Eurocentrism still being practiced? How is this reflected in archaeological practice?
The question is very interesting and doesn't have a single answer. On one hand, it's undeniable that theoretical knowledge and archaeology as we know and apply it today has significant origins in the old world. Basic concepts stem from centuries-old empirical knowledge and practices. This can lead to the perception that history of the new world is written with a European pen. Then, does Andean identity construction take place through an Eurocentric vision? Not necessarily, and it's because Andean history, as well as its identities, are currently being constructed from diverse sources, techniques, approaches, some external and others local or intrinsic. In recent years, American archaeological practice has been incorporating local and regional notions, concepts, and categories for understanding the local and regional phenomenon, which is a great advance in characterizing materiality more accurately. For example, there's now a trend to stop discussing about "rock art" locally and evaluate "killka," a Quechua word that encompasses graphic phenomena in the Andean world without artistic connotations. In contemporary Andean archaeology practice, both conceptual worlds are reflected, supporting and enriching the discussion. I'm someone who thinks that these two ways of interpreting archaeological records don't negate each other but rather feed off one another to provide more tools for a better understanding of the Andean past.
- You are an example of archaeology as a science that uses archeometric analysis, going beyond the romantic adventurer most people imagine. Could you explain to our readers what this discipline entails? What scientific interest do its contributions have?
One of the first books on archaeology I had in my hands was a gift from my parents and it talked about the scientific vision that should be held regarding the past. The book, in its early pages, captures this idea of an archaeologist being seen as a romantic adventurer with a hat and machete in hand, trekking through mountains and hacking through dense jungles. The reality is more complex. It's undeniable that many archaeologists are passionate about the most challenging expeditions; however, archaeological practice is much subtler and has purposes beyond expeditionary discoveries. In my opinion, after several years of practice, the central goal of this science is to identify social and human processes from the past, try to understand them, recognize similarities and behaviors universal and differentiate ways in which, as a species, we express ourselves and solve individual or group conflicts. The past is a rich source of information for recognizing ourselves within it and analyzing how we interact with the world, what possible mistakes we make as society, and what strategies can be employed to address issues that concern common interest. To do all this, not only are traditional fieldwork methods like prospecting and excavation necessary but also laboratory techniques, equipment, and methodologies usually applied in natural sciences. In this sense, archaeometry can be defined as the application of experimental science methods and techniques to past materials for solving archaeological problems. The recognition of patterns, technologies, procedures, and behaviors cannot be achieved solely through senses; it requires the use of techniques that allow us to observe with greater depth and rigor the intrinsic characteristics of remains left by preceding societies. Using equipment such as microscopes and spectrometers is key to knowing the deep material nature of past artifacts and having more information for interpretative processes. As an example of the scientific interest in applying laboratory techniques and equipment in the Andes, we could highlight that chemical analysis of ceramics, obsidian, and raw materials sources has allowed us to establish that these were produced and exploited in places far from where they were found in some social and political contexts. This has enabled us to recognize with certainty and objectivity that pre-Columbian societies had great mobility since early periods, allowing the existence of material and information/knowledge production exchange networks.
- Public policies have shown how culture is a driver for social development. How is this reflected in Machu Picchu? How are local communities involved in tourism management and benefits?
Indeed, at the global level, well-consented and applied cultural public policies are sources of social and economic development. Machu Picchu is no exception and reflects this. Recent years' public policies have strengthened the cultural and heritage image of this monument whose conservation is a general interest as it allows national population to unite as heirs and conservators of this great legacy left by the Inca State. The link is so real and concrete that local communities play a crucial role in tourism management around the site, as is usual elsewhere in the world. At Machu Picchu, such management has social, identity, and economic repercussions at both local and regional scales, considering that tourism is the main activity around the site. Objectively speaking, involvement stems from the participation of local and regional governments in park management within the Machupicchu Management Unit, an institution recognized by UNESCO as a space where various actors inside the park express their needs and requirements for participatory and democratic governance.
- To conclude, what advice would you give to those seeking to develop a career in Andean archaeology?
I've always felt fortunate to identify and validate my interest early on in understanding and deciphering human behavior. In these processes, many professional options emerged and I ended up pursuing development as an agent of archaeology, a science that fulfills the objective of understanding and interpreting our species' actions based on material remains. Along this line, and within the specific context of your question, I would like to offer two pieces of advice. First, generally speaking, after much introspection and analysis, knowing various countries, societies, and their customs, and especially after the awakening of consciousness that my beautiful child brought about, it seems possible to mention that a person should build their path (such as an academic, scientific or professional career) in a domain or universe where they feel emotionally fulfilled and with a transcendent purpose, whatever it may be. This purpose, which can take classical or unexpected forms, must undoubtedly not only resolve one's own needs but also respond to and participate in service to others and the community. It might sound somewhat philosophical, but life is too short for our choices and decisions regarding the path we wish to pursue to always pass through and be validated by the filters of what is normative and conventional within family, social, economic, and political spheres. Ultimately, building a path or becoming can only emerge and reach its destination from accompanying freedom. Second, specifically speaking, those who seek to develop a career in Andean archaeology have an fascinating, unique, exceptional, multilingual field with an active, cooperative, and collaborative community, and many aspects of the social, cultural, economic, and political development of pre-Columbian Andean past remain to be investigated and understood for the benefit of our society and future generations.
You can find more information about Nino del Solar Velarde through his profiles and projects at:
Concytec: https://ctivitae.concytec.gob.pe/appDirectorioCTI/VerDatosInvestigador.do?id_investigador=50915
Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nino-Del-Solar-Velarde
Academia: https://yppo.academia.edu/NinodelSolarVelarde
HAL: https://cv.hal.science/nino-del-solar-velarde
Interviewed by:
Mª Dolores Rodas Romero
Communication Area
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