The Lincoln-Omaha Society of the Archaeological Institute of America announces the third lecture on archaeology for the 2013 – 2014 season. Matthew Sayre, a noted expert on the archaeology of the ancient Incas of South America, will give a public lecture on the religious centers and customs of the Incas.

The iconic Inca site of Machu Picchu is recognized around the world not only for its beauty but also for the trails that lead to it. What is not as widely known is that pilgrimage centers existed across time and space in the pre-conquest Andes. This talk will explore the archaeology of some of these centers and will examine the fascinating history of the 3,000 year old temple of Chavin de Huantar where the presenter has worked for over a decade.

Matt Sayre is an archaeologist who has worked at the site of Chavin de Huantar in the Peruvian Andes since 2002. His work focuses on the ecological, agricultural, economic, and ritual practices of the past inhabitants of Chavin. Prior to coming to the University of South Dakota he was a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and he received his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley.

Dr. Sayre’s lecture is sponsored by the University of Nebraska, the Department of Art and Art History at UNL, and the Lincoln-Omaha Society of the Archaeological Institute of America.