Milosz Giersz

University of Warsaw, Institute of Archaeology, Faculty Member

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Born in 1977. Polish archaeologist, the University of Warsaw graduate. For his PhD dissertation, defended in 2007, he was awarded The Prime Minister’s of Republic of Poland Award, as well as the Ignacio Domeyko Award for the best Latin-American PhD, founded by the Polish Society for Latin American Studies. Since 2002 he has co-directed two consecutive Polish-Peruvian archaeological projects in the northwestern Peru: the Valle de Culebras Archaeological Project, and the Castillo de Huarmey Archaeological Project. During the latter, he led the team that excavated a pre-Columbian royal mausoleum at Castillo de Huarmey with the first unlooted royal tomb of the queens of Wari, an ancient civilization of South America predating the Inca empire (ca. 600 - 1050 AD). This sensational discovery was voted as one of the Top 10 Discoveries by the Archaeological Institute of America in 2013, and enjoyed wide coverage by the National Geographic Magazine, both its International (June 2014) and worldwide editions (June-August 2014), for many of which it was chosen as the cover story. Dr. Giersz has been awarded with the “Zostańcie z nami!” [Stay with us!] scholarship for outstanding young researchers, founded by the biggest Polish weekly magazine Polityka (VIII Edition, 2007), a TRAVELER 2013 National Geographic Award for the most important Polish scientific achievement of the year (2013), the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (2015) and Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Peru (2018) for the achievements in the field of science and outstanding contributions in the cooperation between the Republic of Poland and the Republic of Peru. Dr. Giersz is widely recognized as an expert on the Andean and South American archaeology. He is a member of many societies connected with his profession, including The Explorers Club and the Society for American Archaeology. He acts as the President of Polish Society for Latin American Studies. He is also the author of many books and articles on archaeology and art of the pre-Hispanic Latin American cultures. Currently he holds a position of an Associate Professor of Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw.

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Entangled Encounters in the Wari World: Coast-Highland Interactions during the Middle Horizon as revealed by the archaeological and bioarchaeological investigations in the Castillo de Huarmey, North-Central Coast of Peru

The Hunchback, the Contortionist, the Man with the Stolen Identity, and the One Who Will Be Born in the Afterlife

During the 2010 and 2012 excavation seasons, a Polish-Peruvian team excavated a small elevated mo... more During the 2010 and 2012 excavation seasons, a Polish-Peruvian team excavated a small elevated mound—the remains of a platform—located in the northern sector of Castillo de Huarmey archaeological site, unearthing relics of stone architecture and a number of burials dated to the latter part of the Early Horizon (ca. 800–100 BC). Although the entire cemetery has not been excavated, the burial pattern that emerges from burials known to date is fairly clear and seems to be consistent with that of other Early Horizon sites from the north coast of Peru. Within the group of burials from Huarmey, four are rather atypical; they differ from the overall burial pattern in terms of body arrangement, as well as the presence of possible pre-and post-depositional alterations to the remains. Two skeletons of adult individuals were deposited in a completely different manner from the others, and two children were also buried in a rather unusual way. This chapter presents these four deviant burials, describes their context, and offers possible interpretations regarding the reasons for these atypical depositions using iconographic and archaeological analogies.

RTK Mapping , Kite Aerial Photogrammetry , Geophysical Survey and GIS Based Analysis of Surface Artifact Distribution at the pre-Hispanic site of the Castillo de Huarmey , North Coast of Peru

A comprehensive archaeological survey of the Castillo de Huarmey site, one of the most important ... more A comprehensive archaeological survey of the Castillo de Huarmey site, one of the most important pre-Hispanic Middle Horizon period (AD 600-900) ceremonial and religious centers on the Peruvian North Coast, was carried out by Polish scholars. The survey compared different nondestructive methods: GPS RTK mapping, kite aerial photogrammetry, cesium magnetometry and spatial analysis of surface artifact distribution. The survey data was combined with spatial information using a geographic information system database to record the monumental mud-brick architecture and the vast necropolis of the high-ranking members of pre-Hispanic elites, and to reflect the subsurface site. The undertaking of methodical and comprehensive nondestructive archaeological survey on the North Coast of Peru was one of the first such projects in this region, and is promising for achieving significant advances in the current understanding of local preHispanic societies.

Milosz Giersz

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