Semester of Graduation
Spring 2026
Degree
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Department of Geography and Anthropology
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
This thesis explores the Chavín-Cupisnique (1200-500 BCE) and Moche (200-900 CE) cultures of ancient Northern Peru from the perspective of technics and the archaeology of “regimes of attention,” a theoretical framework derived from Active Inference (ActInf). I examine material cultural assemblages of the Early Horizon (900-200 BCE) and Early Intermediate (200-600 CE) periods to gauge evolving social complexity in the region, including shifting substance preferences from hallucinogens to alcohol concurrent with increasing reliance on irrigation agriculture and hierarchization. As a pragmatic component to this investigation, I have also presented a pilot study for a computational model (hidden Markov model) that can be used to track changes in artistic motifs and their associated epistemic contents over time, which I suggest are correlated with evolving governance strategies.
Date
3-27-2026
Recommended Citation
Petersen, Joseph L., "Technicity and Attentional Regimes in Ancient Northern Peru: Archaeological and Computational Perspectives" (2026). LSU Master's Theses. 6346.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/6346
Committee Chair
Dr. David Chicoine
LSU Acknowledgement
1
LSU Accessibility Acknowledgment
1
Included in
Aesthetics Commons, Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Cognitive Science Commons, Continental Philosophy Commons, History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons