Laurie Beckwith

Faculty Researcher
Humanities & Social Sciences
Anthropology
  • archaeology
  • anthropology
  • south american archaeology
  • ceramic analysis

Education summary

  • PhD, Calgary
  • MA, Trent University
  • B.Sc.(Hon.), Trent University

Research summary

I am an anthropologically trained archaeologist and I have been working on archaeological projects in the Central Andes, in Peru and Ecuador, since 1987. I received a B.Sc. (Hons) in Anthropology and a MA in Art and Archaeology of the Americas from Trent University. I received my Ph.D. in Archaeology from the University of Calgary where I studied the Late Formative Period Chorrera ceramics from the southwest coast of Ecuador.

My research focuses on the archaeology of Ecuador and I have an interest in the Late Formative Period. I have studied the ceramics from this period, known from the Engoroy and Chorrera cultures, from the southern coast and central highlands of the country. These ceramics are best known from the elaborate and complete zoomorphic and anthropomorphic vessels found in museum collections. Much less is known about them from archaeological contexts. Most recently, I have begun to work with extant museum collections, such as the material excavated in 1919 by Jacinto Jij贸n y Caama帽o near Riobamba in the central highlands of Ecuador that is now housed in the Museo Jacinto Jij贸n y Caama帽o in Quito.

Publications and other research outputs

  • Beckwith, Laurie, 2019, 鈥淐ollay: Un sitio del periodo formativo tard铆o de la Provincia de Chimborazo.鈥 In De Arqueolog铆a Hablamos las Mujeres. Perspectivas sobre el pasado ecuatoriano, pp. 97-107, edited by Maria Auxiliadora Cordero. Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manab铆, Jipijapa, Ecuador.
  • Jamieson, Ross, Ron Hancock, Laurie Beckwith and Alice Pidruczny, 2017, 鈥淣eutron Activation Analysis of Inka and Colonial Ceramics from Central Highland Ecuador.鈥 Archaeometry 55(2): (2013) 198鈥213.

Courses taught

Funded projects

  • Research and Scholarly Activity Funds, 秋霞伦理, Analysis of Ceramic Collections from Central Highlands Ecuador, 2017, $3000
  • Research and Scholarly Activity Funds, 秋霞伦理, Archaeological Survey in the Central Highlands of Ecuador, Riob, 2012, $3000

Awards

  • Visiting Fellowship, Sainsbury Research Unit for Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, University of East Anglia, 1997

Conference and event organization

  • 鈥淔ormative Influences: a Gathering in Honour of J. Scott Raymond.鈥 A symposium at the SAA Meetings, March 29 to April 2, 2017, Vancouver, B.C.