UVU: Students, faculty collaborate on preservation project in Bolivia
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- Local residents of the area of Tiwanaku, Bolivia, examine drone technology utilized during a project undertaken by Utah Valley University faculty and students that aimed to preserve archeological remnants of a pre-Columbian civilization in Tiwanaku.
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- Utah Valley University students work to preserve archeological remnants of a pre-Columbian civilization in Tiwanaku, Bolivia.
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- The remnants of a civilization that predates the Inca civilization are shown in Tiwanaku, Bolivia.
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- A Utah Valley University student and professor examine the remnants of a wall created by a pre-Columbian civilization in Tiwanaku, Bolivia.
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- Utah Valley University faculty members and students work to preserve archeological remnants of a pre-Columbian civilization in Tiwanaku, Bolivia.
Courtesy UVU
Local residents of the area of Tiwanaku, Bolivia, examine drone technology utilized during a project undertaken by Utah Valley University faculty and students that aimed to preserve archeological remnants of a pre-Columbian civilization in Tiwanaku.
A group of three professors and six students from Utah Valley University’s Smith College of Engineering recently traveled to Tiwanaku, Bolivia, as part of a cultural, historical and archaeological preservation project in that area.
Tiwanaku is an important pre-Columbian site that predates the Inca civilization and was once the cultural and political center of the Andes. The project is a collaboration of UVU’s Department of Architecture and Department of Digital Media, as well as the American Embassy in Bolivia and the U.S. National Park Services.
Aliki Milioti, Kierstyn Dimas and Samuel Zenteno from the architecture program dedicated their time in Bolivia to creating architectural drawings of significant locations within the site. They meticulously measured sections of a wall that are next in line for restoration. They used mosaic photography to number each stone and document its conditions.
The architecture team will continue to meet with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training as they collaborate on stonework documentation, cleaning and conservation methodology that they will pass on to the team in Tiwanaku.
“Tiwanaku is a sacred site for the people of Bolivia, and to see the look in their eyes when they saw our drawings made me feel something new,” said Kierstyn Davis, a fourth-year architecture student. “The drawings were relatively simple to create, but I could see it meant the world to them that the stones were being taken care of. It felt like I was a part of something that was much bigger than myself, and the skills I have as an architecture student made it possible to create an impact.”
Courtesy UVU
Utah Valley University students work to preserve archeological remnants of a pre-Columbian civilization in Tiwanaku, Bolivia.
The production team, consisting of assistant professor Bryan Sansom, McKay Horton (digital cinema production) and Tanner Mahovsky (digital audio), focused on capturing the essence of Tiwanaku by recording ambient audio of the people, animals and sounds surrounding the historical site and a nearby city. The production team also had the opportunity to visit the smaller secondary site of Puma Punku to document monuments there. Most importantly, they recorded archaeologists as they shared insights about each monument in the museum and at both sites.
“Through extensive interactions with the community, we discovered that there was a much deeper connection between the Tiwanaku site and the people than we had initially imagined,” Mahovsky said. “Their history has been repeatedly stolen from them, and it is our priority to help them document it and eventually share it with the world.”
The production team’s efforts will culminate in a documentary that explores the history of Tiwanaku and the profound connection felt by those working on the site to their ancestors.
Associate professor Emily Hedrick, along with web design and development students Allison Baker and Katelyn Swain, formed the web team. Hedrick, a certified drone pilot, gathered aerial imagery and videography of both sites, conducting LiDAR scans to create updated maps that will aid the architecture team in their measurements and will be shared with the Tiwanaku archaeological team and board of directors.
Baker utilized technology to build a 3D re-creation of the site. This scan will serve as the foundation for a virtual tour, allowing users to immerse themselves in the site, view photographs, read detailed descriptions and experience Tiwanaku firsthand. Swain assisted the architecture team by taking hundreds of photos that will be stitched into photo mosaics.
Courtesy UVU
The remnants of a civilization that predates the Inca civilization are shown in Tiwanaku, Bolivia.
“This project has given me an appreciation and desire to serve other cultures both in the present and in the past,” Swain said. “My career goals involve taking my user experience and photography skills globally to connect people. This project was a perfect starting point for me.”
Now that they have returned home, the web team is creating a dedicated website to showcase the assets gathered by all three teams throughout the project. The website will feature the virtual tour, embedded videos captured by the production team, photographs and work completed by the architecture students.
“All of the people we met were very kind, welcoming and eager to share their life experiences and stories with us,” Baker said. “I became friends not just with the archaeologists we worked with but also with a family that lived near our hotel who invited us into their home and offered us gifts, food and a glimpse into their lives. I feel very touched and honored to have had this experience.”
A Utah Valley University student and professor examine the remnants of a wall created by a pre-Columbian civilization in Tiwanaku, Bolivia.
Utah Valley University faculty members and students work to preserve archeological remnants of a pre-Columbian civilization in Tiwanaku, Bolivia.
