The old and the new Peru

by Marie Robinson Wright

THE EASTERN STREET OF PACHACÁMAC.

Interesting ruins abound in every part of Peru, from the environs of the capital to the most remote districts of the frontier. Within a few hours’ ride of Lima are situated the ancient necropolis of Ancón and the temple of Pachacámac, where recent excavations have brought to light many interesting prehistoric relics. In no other land do the same conditions exist as in Peru, where the archæologist has advantages in the pursuit of his investigations which the countries of the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, and Greeks do not afford. Here it is possible to study, at first hand, many of the customs that prevailed long before the advent of the Spaniards, as they are still practised in the sierra, where the same feast days have been observed from time immemorial, the same methods of spinning and weaving are followed to-day as in prehistoric ages, the picturesque and brilliantly colored costumes of their ancestors are yet in vogue among the indigenes, and even a few of the wonderful dyes, which excel in permanence those of the best European markets, are made to-day by these children of an ancient race, as they were by their forefathers in centuries past.

The most ancient civilization in Peru of which traces have been found up to the present time was developed in the coast region, around Nasca and Ica in the southern district and near Trujillo in the north; and the traveller whose interest in antiquities induces him to pay a visit to this country can see some of the most remarkable ruins on the American continent without the inconvenience of making a long and fatiguing overland journey, as the ocean steamers of the South Pacific call at ports in the immediate neighborhood of extensive ruins of prehistoric cities. Along the coast may also be seen shell mounds and other fragments of a primitive age, showing that in a very remote period the inhabitants subsisted almost entirely on sea food; though nothing has been found to indicate that these people were in any way related to the races that attained, at a later date, such a high degree of culture as that represented in the monuments, potteries, and particularly in the textiles, of Nasca, Pachacámac, and Trujillo. The textiles of ancient Peru are marvellous in quality, design, and coloring, and are the especial delight and admiration of the archæologist.

TERRACES OF THE SOUTHEAST FRONT OF PACHACÁMAC, WITH CEMETERY OF SACRIFICED WOMEN.

A VIEW OF THE SUN TEMPLE OF PACHACÁMAC, SHOWING NICHED WALLS.

Pachacámac, situated about twenty-five miles south of Lima, in the valley of Lurin, overlooking the sea, is, in some respects, the most interesting prehistoric monument of Peru. Nearly all travellers who visit Lima spend a day among these crumbling walls and burial mounds. The first part of the journey to Pachacámac lies across the Rimac valley, which is itself famous in ancient legends as the site of a wonderful temple dedicated to the oracle “Rimac,” the name signifying “one who speaks.” The remains of this great edifice—once almost as celebrated for splendor and riches as that of Pachacámac—are still to be seen just outside of Lima. Between the valleys of Rimac and Lurin, a desert waste of sand extends, known as the Tablada de Lurin; it is a welcome relief when this part of the ride is over and the green meadows of Lurin appear in view, though even the desert has its unspeakable charm. Several hills rise two or three hundred feet above the level of the desert, and among these hills the ancient city of Pachacámac was located. The area within the outer walls that enclose the ruins measures nearly three miles in length by two in breadth, the chief interest being centred in the space occupied by the walls of the temple erected to the god Pachacámac. It was while excavating in these ruins a few years ago that Dr. Uhle made the discoveries which laid the foundation for a new classification of Peruvian antiquities, in accordance with the evidences of successive periods of culture. Previous to that time, all the objects taken from Peruvian cemeteries and placed on exhibition in the museums of Europe and North America, were arranged in a manner to give the impression that they represented various phases of one continuous period of culture. Carved monoliths, mummies, and vessels of gold, silver, and pottery, were disposed of with no more definite clue to their origin than was afforded by a statement of the locality from which they had been taken and the circumstances and date of their excavation. A scientific exploration of the ruins of Pachacámac has revealed the fact that its great temple outlasted several successive ages of culture, and that its other edifices were constructed at later periods, the Incas having built a Temple of the Sun and a convent for the Virgins of the Sun close to the ancient shrine of Pachacámac, whose name signifies “The Creator of the World.” The temple of the “Creator God” has undergone many changes. Excavations show that the original edifice was destroyed long centuries ago, whether by earthquake or in a mighty conflict with a rival people is not known, and that a cemetery at its base was buried in the débris. A larger temple was afterward erected on the same site, immediately over the earlier edifice, the terraces of the later structure covering the débris under which the older cemetery was located. The burial place of the larger temple, as well as that of the original building, was found to be filled with graves, the worshippers of Pachacámac having come to this shrine as the Mohammedans flocked to Mecca centuries later, feeling that they had gained the greatest of all blessings if they could but be buried within the sacred city. It is estimated that thirty thousand of the faithful were interred in the cemetery of Pachacámac. An examination of the huacas found in the various strata of these ruins shows the influence of five separate periods on the culture of this region, and has enabled the archæologist to determine the antiquity of Pachacámac relative to that of other ancient ruins, such as those of Tiahuanaco in Bolivia and the more recent edifices of Incaic origin. It is regarded as certain that the oldest temple of Pachacámac represents an earlier period than does Tiahuanaco, though the latter antedates by many centuries the monuments of Inca civilization. The art displayed in the shape and design of some of the vessels taken from the cemetery of Pachacámac bears a resemblance, in the earlier period, to that seen in the huacas of Tiahuanaco, and, in its latest expression, to the art of the Incaic civilization; this would seem to indicate that at least three successive cultures dominated the whole of ancient Peru, with long periods of transition intervening, when the country was divided and governed by numerous races of more or less advanced culture.

RUINS OF THE CONVENT, PACHACÁMAC.