George Lau

George Lau researches and instructs on the arts and cultures of the Americas, especially of South America and the Central Andes.  He specialises in the archaeology of northern Peru, and has led field projects in the high Andes, including key sites of the Recuay cultural tradition (AD 1-800).  These multiyear investigations illuminate ancient Andean lifeways, community organisation, and varied artistic expressions (e.g., carved sculptures, fancy pottery, metalwork, monumental fortifications).  Collaborations have resulted in regional museum exhibits, collections imaging and digitisation, and public media coverage, contributing to local government recognition as well as site protection/conservation initiatives important for the future of Peruvian archaeological heritage and scholarship.

His writings focus on ancient material and visual cultures, religious cosmology, ritual, and social complexity.  His books include: Andean Expressions (2011); Ancient Alterity in the Andes (2012); An Archaeology of Ancash (2016); and the volume (2022, ed. with J. Gamboa), Paisaje, Identidad y Memoria: La Sociedad Recuay (100-800 dC).  Since 2011, he has also been a founding Co-Editor (and since 2017, Editor) of the journal, World Art.