Peru : a journey in time

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The environments of the Central Andean region in Peru, South America, are some of the most geographically rich and diverse in the world. This publication highlights the history, beliefs, and cultural achievements of the different peoples who lived in these remarkable landscapes from 1500 BC to the arrival of Europeans in the 1500s, and the importance of their legacy up until today.Over thousands of years, the people of the Andes have approached agriculture, economy, gender, power, and belief in fascinating ways. Many archaeological sites in Peru are uniquely preserved, and the book discusses key examples with a thematic and geographical approach. The vibrant and varied material depicted includes ceramics, colorful textiles, golden objects and wooden carvings, drawn from the British Museum and museums and collections in Peru and beyond. When juxtaposed with breathtaking photography of archaeological sites and landscapes, they reveal new narratives about the country's rich history.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Foreword by the President of the Republic of Peru (p. 6)
• Director's foreword (p. 7)
• Timeline (p. 8)
• The main pre-Columbian cultures of the Central Andes (p. 9)
• Introduction (p. 10)
• 1 Peru through time
• Reflections on the Andean past (p. 18)
• The Peruvian pre-Columbian collections at the British Museum: a brief history (p. 22)
• An Andean journey through time (p. 28)
• 2 Living landscapes: mountains, coast, rainforest
• Time, space and living landscapes in the Andes (p. 38)
• Materials and materialities (p. 50)
• Sacred landscapes, time and livelihoods (p. 54)
• Qhapaq Ñan: the Andean road system (p. 56)
• 3 Chavin and early cultures
• Early ceremonial centres in the Andes (p. 64)
• The ceremonial centre of Chavín de Huántar (p. 74)
• The history of Andean food and gastronomy (p. 78)
• 4 Paracas and Nasca: life and death in the desert
• Paracas and Nasca: life and death in the desert (p. 84)
• Walking the lines: exploring the meaning of the. Nasca geoglyphs (p. 100)
• Searching for water in the desert (p. 102)
• Colours of life in the Andes: a scientific perspective (p. 104)
• The sound of time passing: Andean music and soundscapes (p. 106)
• 5 Unwritten histories: Moche and Chimú
• Stories from the north (p. 114)
• The Macabi Island wooden sculptures (p. 134)
• Recuay and their neighbours (p. 136)
• Chimú: the earthly kingdom of the sea (p. 138)
• Spondylus: the sacred thorny oyster (p. 146)
• Death, killing and human sacrifice (p. 150)
• 6 Empires in the sky: Waris and Incas
• The rise of empires: Waris and Incas (p. 158)
• Machu Picchu (p. 172)
• An analysis of coca leaves (p. 174)
• Capacocha rituals (p. 176)
• Conopas (p. 178)
• Inca architecture and the temple of Viracocha at Raqchi (p. 181)
• Andean engineering: the power of water and stone (p. 184)
• 7 The Andean legacy: enduring traditions
• Textiles of the Andes: techniques, traditions and cultures (p. 192)
• Keros, pacchas, tupus and unkus: enduring Andean traditions (p. 204)
• Approaches to conservation (p. 212)
• Andean textiles in the Cusco region (p. 214)
• Andean values and people power: ayllu, ayni and mink'a (p. 218)
• List of lenders (p. 224)
• Note on dates and orthography (p. 224)
• List of contributors (p. 225)
• Notes (p. 226)
• Select bibliography (p. 235)
• Acknowledgements (p. 236)
• Picture credits (p. 237)
• Index (p. 238)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Cecilia Pardo is Curator of the exhibition Peru: a journey through time and was previously Deputy Director and Curator of Collections and Pre-Columbian Art at the Museo de Arte de Lima, Peru. Previous publications include Nasca (Museo de Arte de Lima).

Jago Cooper is Head of the Americas Section at the British Museum. Previous publications include Arctic: culture and climate (The British Museum Press).

With contributions by Nilda Callañaupa, Rafael Vega Centeno, Peter Fux, Andrew Hamilton, Ricardo Kusunoki, George Lau, Elena Phipps, Gabriel Prieto, Julio Rucabado and Bill Sillar .