What was life like in the ancient Andes? Kelly J. Knudson, an assistant professor in the Arizona State University School of Human Evolution and Social Change, will address that question during a free lecture at 6 p.m., Dec. 4, in room A-191 of the Life Sciences Center, Tempe campus.

Knudson’s lecture is titled “Ancient Andean States Through Biochemistry and Bioarchaeology.”

“With their long history of research and excellent preservation, the ancient Andes are ideal for the study of political integration and the formation and collapse of states and empires,” Knudson said. “I will discuss the rise and fall of the Middle Horizon (AD 500-1100) Tiwanaku polity of southern Peru, western Bolivia and northern Chile by integrating data from bioarchaeology and biogeochemistry with other lines of archaeological data.”

Knudson specializes in analyzing chemical signatures in human tooth enamel and bone to explore patterns of subsistence behavior and migration.

The lecture is sponsored by the Archaeological Institute of America, Central Arizona Chapter. Information: Almira F. Poudrier, (480) 965-1754, or almira.poudrier@asu.edu.