The tombs were found almost completely undisturbed. A Golden Discovery In 1987, Peruvian archaeologist Walter Alva received a tip from the police that local villagers had discovered gold in one of the huacas (a term for ancient sacred sites used widely in Peru) and were looting artifacts at the site of Huaca Rajada in the town of Sipán, near[…]
Heads are a frequent motif appearing in all phases of Paracas art, and severed human heads have been found within some of their burials. By Dr. Mary BrownArt Historian The Transcendent Bird Birds and winged creatures have often been tasked with duties of great symbolic importance in human culture. From harpies to storks, interfacing with[…]
Paracans had the means to support a rich culture and forge reciprocal trade relationships with other Early Horizon highland cultures. By Dr. Mary BrownArt Historian Sand and Sea Imagine living in the driest desert on earth located next to the richest ocean on earth. How would these extremes shape social and religious life? What kind[…]
The Inca Empire was a complex society that developed in the Andes Mountains of South America. Introduction The Inca Empire arose in present-day Peru in the 1400s C.E. It lasted until 1532, when the Incas were conquered by Spanish explorers. From north to south along the the South American continent, the Inca Empire stretched for[…]
The initial prosperity of the Chimú was largely due to their agricultural skills as they built an extensive irrigation system using canals. Introduction The Chimú civilization, otherwise called the kingdom of Chimor, flourished on the northern coast of Peru between the 12th and 15th centuries CE. With their capital at Chan Chan the Chimu were[…]
The Chancay lived on the central coast of Peru from c.1000 C.E. until their conquest by the Chimú and then the Inka in the 15th century. Introduction What can small-scale ceramic figurines tell us about the past? It turns out, they can tell us a great deal about cultures that no longer exist. A wonderful[…]
Even with the clash of cultures, the Inka (among other peoples) adapted to the new circumstances, as did the European intruders. Introduction On a vibrantly colored keru cup from colonial Peru, exotically dressed figures, apparently a royal Inka couple, stand surrounded by flowers, vivid designs, and even a rainbow. A keru is a ceremonial Andean beaker[…]
The site features architecture, from houses to terraces, built by carefully fitting individual stones against each other. A Royal Estate Machu Picchu is often described as “mysterious,” but in fact a great deal is known about its construction and purpose. It was built as a royal estate for the first Inka emperor, Pachacuti Inka Yupanqui,[…]
Over the course of 700 years, the site drew many worshipers to its temple. Chavín de Huántar is an archaeological and cultural site in the Andean highlands of Peru. Once thought to be the birthplace of an ancient “mother culture,” the modern understanding is more nuanced. The cultural expressions found at Chavín most likely did[…]
Lake Titicaca was long considered the origin and centre of the cosmos by the local populace and then also the later Incas. By Mark CartwrightHistorian Introduction Lake Titicaca is located between Bolivia and Peru and, at an altitude of 3,800 metres (12,500 feet), it is the world’s highest navigable lake. The tundra plain known as[…]
We see an interplay of Inka and Peruvian works. Signaling Spanish Dominance in Cuzco, Peru The transmission of Christianity to the Andes [the longest continental mountain range in the world and form a continuous highland along the western edge of South America] was both an ideological and artistic endeavor. Early missionaries needed to construct new[…]
For nearly 2,000 uninterrupted years, the region’s ancient inhabitants drew thousands of large-scale zoomorphic and anthropomorphic figures and lines on the arid ground. Introduction The lines and geoglyphs of Nazca are one of the most impressive-looking archaeological areas in the world and an extraordinary example of the traditional and millenary magical-religious world of the ancient Pre-Hispanic societies. They[…]
In Peru, the challenge of providing health care to the country’s citizens has spurred interest in alternative medicines that draw on cultural traditions. By Jane Palmer Under the clear, moonlit sky of Friday, July 13, 2018, Elide Sanchez Rivera steps into her own star—a large, white symbol chalked into the dusty ground. With the sound[…]
The ancient pilgrimage center at Chavín provides the multifaceted material evidence needed for an archaeoacoustic case study. By Dr. Miriam KolarLead InvestigatorChavín de Huántar Archaeological Acoustics ProjectStanford University Sound and Archaeology Buttressed into the Peruvian Andes, the ancient mortared-stone complex at Chavín de Huántar resonates with sound and story. Visitors to this 3,000-year-old ceremonial center[…]