Heritage Aid Foundation

All research undertaken by Heritage Aid is in accordance with international standards of archaeological research and with permission and help of local indigenous communities, who will be instructed in the maintenance of the site for tourist purposes after the excavations are completed. Information gathered will be published in both English and Spanish for the national and international scientific communities, while all artefacts discovered will remain within Bolivia as part of the national patrimony. It has, unfortunately, been common for foreign groups and universities to enter Bolivia to excavate but afterwards fail to share their information with Bolivia and return to their countries with the artefacts that are not seen again by Bolivians.

Heritage Aid is dedicated to the saving of Andean heritage for the appreciation of future generations of Andean people, and for the publication and appreciation of their cultures on an international level. The dissemination of information on both a national and international level for the greater scientific and general appreciation of the richness of American pre-historical and historical culture remains of primary importance.

For 2009 Heritage Aid Foundation is seeking permission to begin a year round excavation on the elite urban area of Tiwanaku in the Alti Plano of Bolivia and a nearby temple site that is under risk of destruction. Tiwanaku is the most important and influential urban civilization in the Americas and the largest city in its time (1700 BC - 1200 AD). This investigation important information to the Director´s investigation into the Andean urban planning tradition. Please express interest in the Urban Tiwanaku Project by emailing the Heritage Aid office. All written expressions of interest make the gaining of governmental and indigenous community permission far easier.

Field Archaeology

Choro Trail - the archaeological hiking guide that has been part of the field research is due to be published in December 2008.

Takesi Trail - the archaeological hiking guide that has been part of the field research is due to be published in January/Febuary 2009.

Zongo Valley - research is being undertaken on an ongoing basis with a series of small expeditions to establish the extent of pre-historical occupation and in coordination with the local communities who desire to establish a form of sustainable heritage toursim with the sites that are alreadu known. In March a first expedition made contact with the community and recieved news of further sites deeper in the Yungan jungle. A next expedition to find one of the sites is scheduled for late November, 2008.

Excavations

Excavations 2010 - City of the Snakes - details will be supplied shortly - but in brief this year we will be runnning a multi-displinary project with the local indigenous people of the Zongo Valley, researching, excavating, repairing and opening for tourism the jungle ruins of the lost City of the Snakes. Dates will be published shortly. Further enquiries contact the office via email. Approx dates May, June, July, August.

Excavations for 2009 to be announced shortly, after governemental and community permissions have been finalised. But we are looking at a major dig and two test sites that are going to be very interesting and of great importance to Bolivia!

Excavation 2009 - Lake Titicaca Temple Project  June to September.

Laboratory

Ceramic reconstructions from the 2003 excavation at Lake Chillata continue.

Ceramic reconstruction from the 2002 Beni Expedition by the Project Q'anata will begin in late November 2008.

Collections

The organization of the photographic collection from the city sites of the Andes continues and will be available on the web site in 2009.Meanwhile if researchers need photographs of Andean sites please contact the office by email.

Library

Oone of the long term goals of Heriatge Aid is too establish a first rate Archaeological Library in La Paz, Bolivia, that will alow students and researchers access not only to materials on Bolivian and South American archaeology but also to international information. There is a sed lack and neglect of Bolivian archaeological library collections and virtually nothing to allow local students and researchers to make international comparisons and analysis of data. Bolivia is rich in archaeological sites but poor in information and resources to study and analyse them. Our current small collection of American and International archaeology, anthropology and historical books and articles are presently available for onsite research at our offices in La Paz.

If you are interested in making a donation of books, in any language on the subject of archaeology, anthropology or history please see the dontions page !

Films

Amareti Quechuan Marriage - continues in editing process.

The Golden Road - First stage production.

Film Commisions Accepted ! 

Research

Indigenous - European cultural encounters between early explorers and native populations in the Amazon. Start date to be announce.

Please contact Heritage Aid Foundation director Dr. William Campbell for interest in this theme.