Illyamani Castro

Hometown

Manhattan, New York

Education

B.A in Anthropology, minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies, Cum Laude, New York University

Interests

Andean indigenous history, religion, and mythology; anthropology; archaeology; pre-Hispanic South America; gender and sexuality; khipu; Quechua/Runasimi; migration in the Qhapaq Ñan.

Experience

Migration runs through my family, and my desire to know more about long-lost or deceased family members expanded into learning about our cultural heritage and history. I've done research on the history of human and animal migration in the Andes, specifically the Qhapaq Ñan (Inca road) and the tambos lined alongside it. As an archaeologist, I have also worked on various sites in Ecuador and Peru, focusing on human and animal remains, cistas, as well as ceramics and pigments.