Before we left the U.S. in June 2019, we stumbled across a story about an archaeologist/anthropologist at UNC-Greensboro (where Renee went to graduate school) whose team was excavating the site of an ancient chicha brewery in Moquegua, Peru. The pre-Inca site had been ritually destroyed by fire, and Dr. Donna Nash wanted to know about the women who had brewed the ancient corn beer there. So, of course, we chose to visit her in South America to learn more about her work. In December, VinePair published our story about the ancient brew, which was probably not made with human saliva, defying conventional beliefs about the origins of the Andean corn beer.
During our visit, protests against a new mining project broke out, and the resulting road closures stranded us in the small town for several days longer than we anticipated. So, we attended the protests and cheered on the indigenous folks marching for their rights to clean water and soil. We were also fortunate enough to be in town during the annual celebration of Peru’s independence, which featured costumed locals re-enacting a parade, the signing of documents, and a rousing speech from a balcony.
Sadly, the ongoing protests have been unsuccessful, so the environmentally-destructive mining project is moving forward.