John Rick in Peru

John Rick, associate professor emeritus of anthropology at Stanford, fell in love with archaeology at the age of six while tagging along with his parents on a plant-hunting expedition to South America. His explorations of desert mud-brick cities and visits to sites such as Machu Picchu were catalysts for his lifelong archaeological career. He has studied early hunter-gatherers of Peru’s high grassland plateaus and is currently working in the Peruvian highlands at the monumental early site of Chavin de Huantar.

John has led numerous Stanford trips to the Near East; Africa; the Pacific and South Asia, and North, Central and South America, including 17 previous programs to Peru alone. He considers Peru his second home, and delights at introducing travelers to its environment, food, and people of the past and present.

• Joined the Stanford faculty in 1978; associate professor emeritus, department of anthropology

• Participated in or lead archaeological excavations in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Illinois, Michigan, Mexico, Peru and France

• MA and PhD, anthropology, University of Michigan