The San José de Moro Archaeological Program was initiated in 1991 under the direction of Luis Jaime Castillo (PUCP) and Christopher Donnan (UCLA), relying as well on the participation of Ulla Holmquist, Marco Rosas, Carlos Wester, Alana Cordy-Collins and Donna McClelland.

Later, in 1995, the SJMAP went through a second phase in its development, this time under the charge of Luis Jaime Castillo, Carol Mackey and Andrew Nelson, carrying out excavations in San José de Moro as well as in the Algarrobal de Moro. Also participating in this stage were Daniel Fernández, Flora Ugaz, Julio Rucabado, Gabriela Freyre, Juan Pablo Murrugarra, Bill Sapp, and Chris Nelson, among other Peruvian and international students.

After 1998, the SJMAP came under the sole direction of Luis Jaime Castillo, who along with various collaborators from Peruvian and international universities carried out investigations in San José de Moro and in various sites in the Jequetepeque Valley. Throughout the years the program has counted on the participation of Martín del Carpio, Katiusha Bernuy, Jackelyn Bernuy, Paloma Manrique, Vanesa Bernal, Rocío Delibes, Alfonso Barragán, Rosa Lena, Ángel Guerrero, Cecile Raoulas, Sophie Vallet, Patricia Pérez-Albela, Cecilia Pardo, Pedro Fernández, Jesús López, Beatriz Fernandez, Marta Venegas, Ilana Johnson, Colleen Donley, Moisés Tufinio, María Concepción Godoy, Haru Heshiki, Ethan Cole, Kari Zobler, Katie Chiou, Jessica Castro, Daniela Zevallos, David Rodríguez, Enrique Urteaga, and Caroline Thiriet, among many more.