The Viru Valley is on the north east coast of Peru

The Viru Valley Project

In 1946 the first attempt to study settlement patterns in the Americas took place in the Viru Valley, led by Gordon Willey . Rather than examine individual settlement sites, Willey wanted to look at the valley as a whole and the way that each village interacted with the others. The study showed that villages were located in places which reflected their relationship with the wider landscape and their neighbours. The project emphasised the importance for archaeologists of viewing sites holistically and to take into account the economic, environmental, social and political factors acting on past societies.