Chinchero: Land of Great Weavers

Chinchero produces extraordinary textiles, woven with ancestral tools with Incan designs and natural colors.

May 11, 2010 | Art, Cusco Guide, Traditions

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Unlocking the secrets of the Quipus

Gary Urton. The investigator from Harvard University reveals the latest results of his investigations of the meaning of the quipu.

As I explained in this previous post, the quipu (or khipu) is a fascinating communication device used in the pre-Columbian world for everything from accounting and record keeping to, it is believed, recording detailed text… names, words, a full written language not in symbols but in lengths of string and knots tied at points along them.

June 30, 2009 | Archaeology, Commentary/Opinion, News

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The Nazca Civilisation

Descended from the older Paracas civilisation, the Nazca are of course most famous for their countless mysterious lines draw in the rocky desert plains in which they lived. They were also great water engineers, creating a series of complex aqueducts.

December 3, 2008 | Archaeology

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Llamas, Alpacas, Vicuñas and Guanacos

Living on the altiplano – the Andean plateau – are the South American camelids. Llamas and Alpacas found themselves domesticated by humans and have lived this way for as much as 6000 years. Guanacos and Vicuñas on the other hand still exist in the wild and are heavily protected by law. They are all somehow able to thrive on the tough vegetation and harsh extremes in temperatures that we find at these altitudes.

April 21, 2008 | Modern Peru

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