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La Cordillère des Andes recèle quelques-uns des plus hauts sommets de la planète. Le Huascarán, qui se dresse dans la Cordillera Blanca, impose au paysage sa majestueuse silhouette ; il atteint l'altitude de 6768 mètres. - 1969

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Sur l'altiplano, balayé par un vent glacial et violent, l'agriculture n'est pas possible. Les indigènes se consacrent à l'élevage. D'immenses troupeaux d'alpacas paissent dans ces étendues sans limite où l'eau gèle même au milieu de la journée. - 1969

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Des indigènes de la Sierra centrale se rendent d'une vallée à une autre en conduisant leur troupeau de vaches. - Quebrada Querococha - Cordillera Blanca. - 1969

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L'église coloniale et le hameau de Tiobamba, dans le département du Cuzco. Au fond du Nevado Chicón, 5530m - 1969

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La civilisation Chavin, connue surtout par ses œuvres en pierre, appartient à l’époque formative du Pérou précolombien.

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L'un des abris sous roche de Pizacoma (département de Puno) est orné de peintures qui représentent une scène de chasse à la vigogne et qui auraient une antiquité d'environ 10’000 ans.

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La religion Chavin est marquée par un culte rendu en l'honneur du condor. Sa représentation, très schématisée, figure sur des dalles qui ornent le temple de la station éponyme de la Cordillère.

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Dans le temple souterrain de Chavin les archéologues ont découvert des dalles montrant la silhouette du puma, un dieu qui sera craint et vénéré pendant toute l'époque précolombienne.

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Entre les scènes peintes des abris sous roche de Pizacoma figurent des signes géométriques dont la signification exacte nous échappe.

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Le lama joue un grand rôle dans la vie économique des populations de la Cordillère des Andes. Sa laine est utilisée à la confection d'étoffes. Avec ses os et ses tendons les indigènes fabriquent toute une gamme d'instruments d'utilisation courante. Sa viande, séchée, est consommée avec des pommes de terre et du maïs. C'est le charki déjà à la mode durant l'époque précolombienne. - Près de Taraco, province de Huancané, Puno - Région du lac Titicaca. - 1969

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Machu Picchu, la cité sanctuaire consacrée par les Incas au soleil, ne fut découverte qu'en 1911. Elle se situe dans la Cordillère des Andes, au nord du Cuzco, à une altitude de 3000 mètres.

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Andenes, terrasses de cultures incaïques de Pisac (département du Cuzco).

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Vallée du Río Apurimac dans laquelle vivaient des tribus hostiles aux Incas. Paysage caractéristique de la Sierra centrale.

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Les ruines de Machu Picchu sont dominées par une colline au sommet de laquelle se trouve un monument taillé dans un seul bloc de granit, appelé Intihuatana, c'est-à-dire la «pierre où l'on attache le soleil». Il s'agit sans doute d'un lieu de culte. - 1969

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Le cheval constitue souvent le seul moyen de transport des populations de la Sierra. - Femme indienne près d'Andahuaylas. - 1969

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Les cactées sont parmi les seules espèces végétales qui croissent dans les régions soumises à l'érosion de la Cordillère des Andes. - Vallée du Río Mantaro, à 70 km d'Ayacucho. - 1969

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La demeure des Indiens de la Cordillère des Andes est faite de briques en boue séchée, appelées adobes, recouvertes ou non de chaux. Elle est surmontée d'un toit de chaume. La maison se compose d'une seule pièce qui sert à la fois de cuisine, de chambre à coucher et de grenier où l'on garde les récoltes. - Près de la pierre de Sayhuite entre Abancay et Cuzco - 1969

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Terrasses d'assèchement d'eau salée à Maras (département du Cuzco). Ce procédé semble avoir déjà été utilisé par les Incas. - 1969

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Au centre du lac Titicaca se trouvent des îles flottantes artificielles sur lesquelles vivent des indigènes appelés Urus. Ce sont des métis qui parlent l'aymara et qui se consacrent surtout à la pêche. - 1969

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Depuis l'arrivée des Occidentaux sur sol américain, les Indiens ont appris à élever les chèvres et les moutons qu'ils font paître sur les grands pâturages de l'altiplano. - Près du lac Titicaca entre Taraco et Huancané. - 1969

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Le lac Titicaca est une véritable mer continentale. Les animaux domestiques n'hésitent pas à entrer dans l'eau pour se nourrir des plantes aquatiques qui sont très riches en protéines. - 1969

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Les Indiens qui vivent sur les rives du lac Titicaca utilisent un bateau en jonc, la balsa, qu'ils confectionnent eux-mêmes et qui leur permet de circuler aisément sur les eaux. - 1969

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La Sierra péruvienne est peuplée essentiellement d'indiens qui vivent en communauté et qui s'adonnent à l'agriculture. En certains endroits la fertilité de la terre est remarquable. - Récolte de céréales, Tiobamba, Cuzco, au fond du Nevado Chicón, 5530m - 1969

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Le marché aux bestiaux de Huancané, près du lac Titicaca, attire chaque dimanche des milliers de paysans de la montagne venus des quatre points cardinaux. - 1969

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L'emploi de machines est impossible dans la Cordillère des Andes, déjà à cause des difficultés du terrain. Tous les travaux agricoles se font à la main et sous le signe de la communauté. Récolte de pommes de terre à 4500 mètres d'altitude. - 1969

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La chaquitaclla ou bèche incaique est encore en usage de nos jours parmi les populations de l'altiplano. - Hacienda San Juan de Chuquibambilla, Puno. - 1969

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C'est au Pérou que se situent quelques-unes des mines les plus élevées de la planète. Certains gisements des environs de Cerro de Pasco sont à 5000 mètres au-dessus du niveau de la mer. - 1969

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Dans la Sierra centrale l'industrie se développe de plus en plus grâce à la construction de barrages qui, à l'exemple de celui de Mantaro, favorisera l'utilisation rationnelle de la force hydraulique. – Barrage Tablachaca, Tayacaja, Huancavelica - 1969

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Fonte de cuivre à La Oraya (département de Junin). - 1969

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Une route est en cours de construction qui mène de Yungay au lac Llanganuco dans le Parc National Huascarán dans la cordillère blanche. - 1969

The "Callejón de Huaylas" with the Cordillera Blanca is also called "Peruvian Switzerland". On the left the Huascarán 6780 m, on the right the Nevado Copa, 6188 m. - 1969

The valley of the Río Jequetepeque, a major river in northern Peru. The striking, columnar and heavily ribbed cacti in the foreground are candelabra cacti (Neoraimondia arequipensis), typical of the western slopes and coastal valleys of Peru. The photograph shows the striking contrast between the barren, stony desert and mountain landscape with its xerophytic vegetation and the artificially irrigated, green farmland in the valley, which is intensively used for the cultivation of rice, sugar cane and fruit. – Peru – 1969

The Jequetepeque Valley is one of the most important and historically significant agricultural regions on the Peruvian Pacific coast. This area is regarded as one of Peru’s largest rice-growing regions. As the coastal climate there is extremely dry (desert climate), intensive wet rice cultivation is made possible by a sophisticated, millennia-old system of canals and by water from the river. Peru – 1969

The photograph shows the typical landscape of the fertile Jequetepeque Valley, which is one of the most important centres for wet rice cultivation in Peru. – Peru – 1976

The rivers flowing down from the Western Cordillera cross the Peruvian coastal desert on their way to the Pacific Ocean. Around forty box-shaped valleys with broad floors and steep sides are carved into the desert plateau, which slopes gently down towards the sea. With their vineyards, lucerne fields and vegetable plots lined with rows of trees, they form green oases in a barren landscape. The rice fields recently established along the Río Jequetepeque, where indigenous people plough with teams of oxen, are reminiscent of their Asian counterparts. - Book: Picture 89 - Peru - 1976

In Cajamarca, situated at an altitude of 2,960 metres, Francisco Pizarro lured the Inca Atahualpa into an ambush and took him prisoner. To this day, the ‘Camara de rescate’ is on display – the room that Atahualpa had filled with gold. However, the ransom did not save him from a violent death. Cajamarca has largely retained its colonial character to this day, and with its 30,000 inhabitants, it is a bustling market town: smallholders queuing outside the agricultural co-operative to collect their milk money. - Book: Picture 87 - Peru - 1976

In Cajamarca, situated at an altitude of 2,960 metres, Francisco Pizarro lured the Inca Atahualpa into an ambush and took him prisoner. To this day, the ‘Camara de rescate’ is on display – the room that Atahualpa had filled with gold. However, the ransom did not save him from a violent death. Cajamarca has largely retained its colonial character to this day, and with its 30,000 inhabitants, it is a bustling market town: Cajamarca’s traditional hats are made from toquilla straw (plant fibre). - Book: Picture 85 - Peru - 1976

In Cajamarca, situated at an altitude of 2,960 metres, Francisco Pizarro lured the Inca Atahualpa into an ambush and took him prisoner. To this day, the ‘Camara de rescate’ is on display – the room that Atahualpa had filled with gold. However, the ransom did not save him from a violent death. Cajamarca has largely retained its colonial character to this day, and with its 30,000 inhabitants, it is a bustling market town: a market vendor spins her wool as she walks. - Book: Picture 84 - Peru - 1976

In Cajamarca, situated at an altitude of 2,960 metres, Francisco Pizarro lured the Inca Atahualpa into an ambush and took him prisoner. To this day, the ‘Camara de rescate’ – the room that Atahualpa had filled with gold – is on display. However, the ransom did not save him from a violent death. Cajamarca has largely retained its colonial character to this day, and with its 30,000 inhabitants, it is a bustling market town: a market vendor carries her new hat home on top of her old one. - Book: Picture 86 - Peru - 1976

Cumbemayo, 19 km south-east of Cajamarca in Peru, at an altitude of around 3,500 metres. The aqueduct is approximately 850 metres long, hewn from rocky volcanic rock, and forms part of an 8-kilometre-long canal. It was built around 1500 BC. The precisely carved zigzag angles served to reduce the flow velocity of the water and prevent soil erosion. The name Cumbemayo may have its roots in the Quechua expression ‘kumpi mayu’, literally ‘well-built water channel’. There are petroglyphs on the aqueduct and in the surrounding caves. – Peru – 1976

The Windows of Otuzco (Ventanillas de Otuzco) are a significant archaeological necropolis dating from the pre-Inca period (Cajamarca culture, c. 200–800 AD). They are situated approximately 8 km north-east of the city of Cajamarca at an altitude of around 2,850 metres. Hundreds of window-like, rectangular burial niches are carved deep into a steep cliff face of volcanic rock. The individual niches served as separate burial sites, arranged one above the other, in which the region’s ancestors laid their dead to rest. – Northern Peru – 1976

An old lorry loaded to the brim with freshly harvested sugar cane. The scene is typical of sugar cane transport in the agricultural regions along the Pan-American Highway in northern Peru. – Northern Peru – 1976

The Panamericana crosses many desert stretches of the peruvian coast. In places it is blown with sand by the strong winds, as here near San Pedro de Lloc in the province of Pacasmayo in the department of La Libertad. - 1969

Huanchaco is the beach of Trujillo in the department of La Libertad. As hundreds of years ago, fishermen still go out to sea with their balsa boats. - 1972

Chan Chan was the capital of the pre-Columbian Chimú Empire. Best preserved is the Tschudi area, named after the Swiss researcher Tschudi. The palace is now known as Palacio Nik-An. This area is being restored and is open to tourists. Here you can still see some of the banqueting halls with their magnificent decorations. - 1969

The "Huaca del Dragon", or as it is also called, rainbow temple, is located outside the city of Trujillo near Chan Chan. It is a large religious monument, ceremonial and administrative centre made of mud bricks, whose murals are decorated with relief friezes depicting anthropomorphic figures and depicting the rainbow in stylised form. - 1969

El interior dañado de las ruinas históricas del Convento de San Agustín (convento e iglesia de San Agustín) en Zaña, un importante yacimiento colonial situado en la provincia de Chiclayo, región de Lambayeque, al norte de Perú. Este templo, fundado en 1584 por los padres agustinos y terminado a principios del siglo XVII, sufrió graves daños a causa del devastador terremoto de 1619, así como, sobre todo, por las catastróficas inundaciones provocadas por el fenómeno de El Niño en 1720, que destruyeron la floreciente ciudad colonial. Los restos del complejo sacro presentan estructuras macizas de ladrillo y arcilla, así como bóvedas y arcos de medio punto conservados, que dan testimonio de la antigua grandeza de la arquitectura colonial. – Norte de Perú – 1976

Golden Chimú death mask (width 31 cm). Private collection, Switzerland. - Book: Picture 50 - Peru - 1969

A golden figurine known as the ‘Ídolo de Frías’ – so named because it is crafted in the Frías style – but which is attributed to the Vicús culture on the northern Peruvian coast. It was hammered and soldered from 16-carat gold (height 15.5 cm, weight 60 g). Brüning Archaeological Museum, Lambayeque, Peru. - Book: Picture 64 - Peru - 1977

Vase in the shape of a kneeling figure from the Vicús culture, northern Peru. Vicús is regarded as a phase of experimentation, chronologically classified as a late phase of the Formative Period, as a wide variety of forms and technical solutions appear in pottery. Private collection, Lima, Peru. - Book: Picture 76 - Peru - 1969

Moche jug depicting a man and a house on a cubic body. The Mochica culture, sometimes also referred to as Proto-Chimú, flourished on the coast of northern Peru, around Trujillo, at roughly the same time as the Nazca culture in the south. Mochica pottery is effectively an ethnological record, as it depicts every detail of daily life. Private collection, Switzerland. - Private collection, Switzerland. – Book: Image 70 – Peru – 1969

Copper death mask from the Chimú culture, Peru (height 22 cm). The Chimú were regarded as the most outstanding gold and silversmiths of the pre-Inca and Inca periods. Following the subjugation of the Chimú, the Incas brought the finest artists to Cuzco. Museo Arqueológico Brüning, Lambayeque, Peru. - Book: Picture 72 - Peru - 1977

Ceramic statue of Naymlaps, the mythical founder of the Chimú Empire (height 18 cm). Brüning Archaeological Museum, Lambayeque, Peru. - Book: Picture 49 - Peru - 1976

The 180-kilometre-long Cordillera Blanca rises to its highest point at Huascarán, Peru’s highest mountain at 6,768 metres. Snowfields and glaciers also cover the neighbouring peaks, which are scarcely less imposing. Rockfalls and mudslides pose a constant threat to the settlements in the valley. In the foreground are the boulders from a rockfall that occurred in 1970. - Book: Picture 83 - Peru - 1976

This photograph has a deeply tragic and historic background: it shows the mighty Nevado Huascarán (6,757 m), taken from Campo Santo in Yungay. The group of people in the foreground, carrying a coffin together, are standing exactly where, on 31 May 1970, the old town of Yungay was completely buried as a result of a severe earthquake and the subsequent massive mud and ice avalanche. In this natural disaster – the worst in Peru’s history – over 20,000 people in the town lost their lives. Today, the site is a national memorial designated as the Campo Santo (holy field) and also serves as a vast cemetery. – Peru – 1976

The photograph shows the landscape of rubble and debris below the glaciated Nevado Huascarán in the Cordillera Blanca in Peru, which was shaped by the massive avalanches and debris flows that followed the 1970 earthquake. In the background rise the snow-capped twin peaks of Huascarán, Peru’s highest mountain (6,768 m). In the foreground and on the plain, large boulders, masses of debris and sparse, low vegetation can be seen. – Peru – 1976

The photograph shows the picturesque Laguna Chinancocha (one of the Llanganuco Lakes) in Huascarán National Park in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca. The lake lies at an altitude of around 3,850 metres in the Áncash region, not far from the town of Huaraz. It is characterised by its intense, bright turquoise-green colour, fed by glacial meltwater and framed by steep mountain slopes and typical Andean flora (such as the gnarled queñua trees). – Peru – 1976

High above the small town of Yungay, which was buried by an ice avalanche in 1970, the Llanganuco high valley opens up in the Cordillera Blanca, featuring a lake dammed by a wall of rock and moraine. Towards the outside – towards the Callejón de Huaylas or Santatal – it transitions into a vast trough-shaped valley. - Book: Picture 99 - Peru - 1976

A weaver with her spindle makes yarn from sheep's wool. Mancos in the Callejón de Huaylas, Department of Ancash. - 1969

A weaver with her spindle makes yarn from sheep's wool. Cajamarca Region in North Peru. - 1969

Bas-relief of a human figure (height 25 cm) from the Recuay culture in the Santa Valley, Peru, dating from the Classical period. Museo Regional de Ancash, Huaraz, Peru. - Book: Picture 73 - Peru - 1976

Relief of a warrior with a head trophy and shield (height 32 cm). Recuay culture. Museo Regional de Ancash, Huaraz, Peru. - Book: Picture 74 - Peru - 1976

A vase-shaped ‘rumba ball’ filled with grains, featuring an anthropomorphic neck and two small monkeys perched on top. Santa pottery from the Huari period (height 21 cm). Museo Regional de Ancash, Huaraz, Peru. - Book: Picture 67 - Peru - 1976

The area around Patarcocha, in the Chacas district (Ancash region), within the famous Huascarán National Park, is world-renowned for having the densest populations of Puya raimondii. This rare plant belongs to the bromeliad family (Bromeliaceae) and is native to the high Andes of Peru and Bolivia; it is also known as the Queen of the Andes. It grows at extreme altitudes of between 3,500 and 4,500 metres in barren, sunny mountain steppes. The plant often lives for over 80 to 100 years, flowers only once in its lifetime with a gigantic inflorescence up to 10 metres high, and then dies. – Peru – 1977

The most striking plant of the humid Puna regions of Peru and Bolivia is the Puya raimondii, a giant bromeliad. This plant, which flowers only once before dying, develops a spike of bright green flowers up to eight metres high, pollinated by hummingbirds. This photograph of the plant, which has now become rare, was taken at an altitude of 4,200 metres in the area of Laguna de Patarccocha, Ancash Department, Peru. - Book: Picture 98 - Peru - 1976

Highland landscape (Puna) featuring the striking, snow-capped massif of Nevado Huantsán (6,395 m) in the southern part of the Cordillera Blanca in the Peruvian Andes, situated in the Áncash region. The barren plateau in the foreground, characterised by ichu grass, is typical of the Puna altitude zone between 3,800 and 4,000 metres. – Peru – 1976

Although the Shaqsha, at 5703 metres, is more than a thousand metres lower than Huascarán, it is nevertheless one of the most striking peaks of the ‘White Cordillera’ and poses the greatest challenges for mountaineers. - Book: Picture 97 - Peru - 1976

Sheep and goats cross the Río Mosna via a traditional, simple bridge made of tree trunks; the river flows right past the famous archaeological site of Chavín de Huántar. Chavín is one of Peru’s most important pre-Columbian cultures. – 1976

Chavín Culture, Peru. The huge temple complex near the village of Chavín de Huántar behind the Cordillera Blanca gave its name to a culture whose influence around 1000 BC can be traced over a wide area and in later cultural forms, so that it can be called with some justification the mother culture. Recurring motifs are the jaguar or a mixture of predator, snake and condor and warriors with predator teeth, condor claws and snake hair or hair with condor heads. Here the main portal to the temple complex with the large ceremonial square in the foreground. - 1976

The Portada de las Falcónidas (also known as the Black-and-White Portal) at the archaeological site of Chavín de Huántar in the Ancash region of Peru. It is the magnificent main entrance to the New Temple of the pre-Inca Chavín culture, which flourished between approximately 1500 and 300 BC. The portal is supported by two cylindrical stone columns engraved with complex mythological reliefs (falcon-like or bird-of-prey creatures). The name derives from the differently coloured stone blocks (black limestone and white granite) used in the architecture of this ceremonial area. – Peru – 1969

The heads of nails (Cabezas clavas) are a series of sculptures representing heads of cats, snakes and birds, combined with human features. They owe this name to the fact that they end like a nail in an extension, which meant that they could easily be embedded into the façade of the temple at symmetrical intervals. One theory assumes that they were the guardians of the temple. They were carved in sandstone of different consistency, quartzite and granite. Unfortunately, of the 56 who were there, only one is still on site. The others have disappeared or are kept in museums. - 1976

Chavín culture, Peru. The immense temple complex near the village of Chavín de Huántar, behind the Cordillera Blanca, where these relief slabs are found, gave its name to a culture whose influence can be traced over a wide area and in later cultural forms, so that it may, with some justification, be described as a ‘mother culture’. Recurring motifs include the jaguar or hybrid creatures combining big cats, snakes and condors, as well as warriors with predator’s teeth, condor’s talons and snake’s hair (this image) or hair adorned with condor heads. - Book: Picture 45 - Peru - 1976

Chavín culture, Peru. The immense temple complex near the village of Chavín de Huántar, behind the Cordillera Blanca, in which these relief slabs are found, gave its name to a culture whose influence can be traced over a wide area and in later cultural forms, so that it may, with some justification, be described as a ‘mother culture’. Recurring motifs include the jaguar (this image) or hybrid creatures combining a big cat, a snake and a condor, as well as warriors with predator’s teeth, condor’s talons and snake’s hair, or hair with condor’s heads. - Book: Picture 44 - Peru - 1976

The Raimondi Stele is a 1.95-metre-high, finely carved granite monolith from the pre-Columbian Chavín culture of Peru (c. 900–550 BC), which is now housed in the National Museum in Lima. It depicts the so-called ‘Staff God’ – an anthropomorphic, feline deity holding a staff or sceptre in each hand. The relief is designed in such a way that, when viewed from the opposite perspective (upside down), completely different figurative faces and symbols can be discerned. It is named after the Italian scholar Antonio Raimondi, who discovered it in the 19th century at the archaeological site of Chavín de Huántar. – Peru – 1976

Chavín culture, Peru – Detail of the lower part of the Raimondi stele. Considered a masterpiece of this culture, the stele is 74 centimetres wide, 195 centimetres high and 17 centimetres thick. First described by A. Raimondi at the end of the 19th century, the stele served as a table for a farmer for many years; fortunately, it was turned upside down, meaning that the engravings are exceptionally well preserved and were also spared by the landslides that repeatedly buried the Chavín site. The figure in this detail is sometimes interpreted as a human with big cat attributes, and at other times as a feathered cat god. When turned upside down, a second face appears, formed from the mouth and chin of the upright figure. Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima, Peru. - 1976

One of the few, if not the only, textiles to have survived from the Chavín culture: painted cotton, once again featuring the familiar motifs of fangs, feathered serpents and condor talons. Museo Amano, Lima, Peru. - Book: Picture 62 - Peru - 1976

A huaco, or stirrup-shaped vessel, from the coastal Chavín culture, Chiclayo Valley, Peru (height 23 cm). A chameleon or cat-like creature in the black pottery characteristic of Chavín. Brüning Archaeological Museum, Lambayeque, Peru. - Book: Picture 65 - Peru - 1976

As you drive from the coast towards Huaraz, this view of Caullaraju (5,682 m) rising above the vast pampa is the first major picture-postcard view of the Cordillera Blanca, a high mountain range in the Andes. Further to the right lies Laguna Conococha (from the Quechua words quñuq, meaning ‘warm’, and qucha, meaning ‘lake’ or ‘lagoon’, hence ‘warm lake’), which is considered the official source of the Río Santa. This river is one of the most water-rich and important rivers on the Peruvian Pacific coast. – Peru – 1969

Detail from the temple complex of Cerro Sechín in the Casmatal on the Peruvian Pacific coast. The complex of around ninety monolithic slabs, some of which are enormous, is attributed to the coastal Chavín style, although the reliefs have little in common with other ancient Peruvian stonework and show more similarities with the Mexican Monte Albán culture. The figures in profile all look towards the main entrance of the temple. - 1976

Detail from the temple complex at Cerro Sechín in the Casma Valley on the Peruvian Pacific coast. The complex, comprising around ninety monolithic slabs—some of them enormous—is attributed to the Coastal Chavín style, although the reliefs bear little resemblance to other ancient Peruvian stone carvings and show greater similarities to the Mexican Monte Albán culture. The figures, depicted in profile, all face the main entrance to the temple. - Book: Picture 46 - Peru - 1976

Detail from the temple complex of Cerro Sechín in the Valley of Casma on the Peruvian Pacific coast. The complex of around ninety monolithic slabs, some of them enormous, is attributed to the coastal Chavín style, although the reliefs have little in common with other ancient Peruvian stonework and show more similarities with the Mexican Monte Albán culture. - 1976

The Archbishop’s Palace of Lima (Palacio Arzobispal de Lima) on the Plaza Mayor in the historic centre is the official residence of the Archbishop of Lima. The building is an outstanding example of neo-colonial architecture in the Baroque style. Inaugurated in December 1924, the building features a richly decorated stone façade with imposing neo-Baroque elements. Particularly striking are the large, dark-brown wooden balconies made of carved cedar in the traditional Liman style with Moorish influences. The palace is situated right next to Lima Cathedral. – 1969

Street photographer in the Plaza de Armas in Lima. Wherever the Spanish founded a town, they also created a ‘parade ground’, around which the most important public buildings were grouped. - Book: Picture 183 - Peru - 1969

Around Peru’s capital, Lima, the pueblos jóvenes – the new neighbourhoods, also known as barriadas and which are nothing but slums – are springing up. Given the dire social situation and stagnating agriculture in the Andean valleys, the city is the main destination for a massive exodus from the countryside. - Book: Picture 187 - Peru - 1976

This historical illustration is taken from the chronicle *Nueva Corónica y Buen Gobierno* (c. 1615) by the indigenous Peruvian chronicler Felipe Guamán Poma de Ayala and depicts the meeting between the Inca ruler Atahualpa and the Spanish conquistadors. It depicts the Inca Atahualpa on his throne (usno) in Cajamarca, to whom the Dominican friar Vicente de Valverde is handing the Bible, accompanied by the interpreter Felipillo and Spanish soldiers such as Francisco Pizarro and Diego de Almagro. The drawing illustrates the momentous first contact and the so-called ‘Requerimiento’ in 1532, which led directly to Atahualpa’s capture and the collapse of the Inca Empire.

Lima – Ciudad de los Reyes. The City of Kings, so named because Francisco Pizarro founded it in 1535 on the Feast of the Epiphany. This illustration is taken from the book *Nueva Crónica y Buen Gobierno* by Felipe Huamán Poma de Ayala. His work contains hundreds of illustrations and was produced between 1583 and 1613. Given the scarcity of contemporary visual records, it holds a unique place; however, it must be borne in mind that the Conquista had already taken place fifty to seventy years earlier by the time Poma de Ayala set about depicting it, which is why his illustrations can only claim limited documentary value.

Portrait of the South American independence fighter Simón Bolívar, painted by the Peruvian artist José Gil de Castro around 1823. Simón Bolívar (1783–1830), also known as ‘El Libertador’, was a Venezuelan statesman and military leader who played a key role in liberating several South American countries from Spanish rule. The original of this oil painting is housed in the Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI) in Peru. – 1977

The document that crowned the struggle for independence! Following the defeat at Ayacucho, the Spaniard José Canterac signed the terms of surrender on 9 December 1824. On behalf of the opposing side, the liberator General Antonio José de Sucre – after whom Bolivia’s nominal capital is named – signed the document. - Book: Picture 190 - Peru - 1976

A detail of a pre-Inca textile from Puruchuco in the Rímac Valley, featuring a bird motif in a geometric style characteristic of the cultures of the central Peruvian Pacific coast, as frequently seen particularly in works of the Chancay culture. – 1977

The Andean Railway, which runs from Lima on the Pacific coast to Huancavelica in the Sierra, crosses the Río Rimac. Fifty kilometres further on, it reaches the world’s highest ‘railway point’ at the Paso del Ticlio (4,818 m). - Book: Picture 179 - Peru - 1969

La Oroya, situated at an altitude of 3,726 metres in the Peruvian department of Junín, is a major railway junction. The most important ore processing plants and smelters are located here. These smelters are all the more important given that, in the past, almost all mining products were shipped in the form of ore and refined abroad. – In 2012, operations at the smelting plants were ceased. - Book: Picture 168 - Peru - 1969

A miner from the Caudalosa mine in the department of Huancavelica, Peru. - Book: Picture 167 - Peru - 1976

Workers’ settlement at the Ricas mine in the department of Huancavelica, Peru. The ore from this mine contains silver, lead, zinc and copper, as well as various minerals that are separated during smelting. - Book: Picture 173 - Peru - 1976

Miners in front of the entrance to the Ricas mine in the department of Huancavelica, Peru. - Book: Picture 174 - Peru - 1976

Bus stop near the village of Conchamarca in the department of Huánuco, Peru. - Book: Picture 181 - Peru - 1976

In autumn, the predominant color of the cultivated fields in the Sierra is brown. Near Huancayo, Junín Department. - 1969

Nothing illustrates the economic and social diversity as well as farming methods. Whilst tractors are used in some areas, indigenous people on their smallholdings still cultivate their fields in a way that has not changed since Inca times. - Book: Picture 91 - Peru - 1969

Corn on the cob hangs to dry on the wall of the house. Acomayo in the Huánuco region in central Peru. - 1969

Traditional Peruvian carving: The picture shows intricately engraved and fired pumpkins, known as ‘Mates Burilados’. This craft originates from the Peruvian Andes (particularly regions such as Junín) and often depicts scenes from everyday life, historical events or nature. The intricate patterns are carved into the dried pumpkin shell using a burin and are sometimes highlighted with smoke or paint. – Huancayo – Peru – 1969

One of the most attractive forms of Peruvian crafts is the decoration of dried gourds. The artist from the «Centro Artesanal de Huancayo» uses a sharp piece to draw scenes from everyday life. - 1969

A scene from the famous Feria Dominical de Huancayo (Huancayo Sunday Market) in Peru, one of the historically most significant and largest markets in the South American Andes. This weekly market attracts traders and craftspeople from across the Mantaro Valley. The artworks visible in the foreground are dried calabash gourds. Artisans from the nearby villages of Cochas Chico and Cochas Grande use fine chisels (buriles) to carve extremely detailed stories, village chronicles and festive scenes into the shells. The characteristic brown and black contrasts are created using firing techniques. Hand-woven blankets and traditional textiles hang in the background. The women’s clothing – in particular the distinctive white hats with black ribbons and the embroidered waistcoats – is typical of the indigenous people of the Mantaro Valley. – 1969

Detail of a carved and charred gourd from the Huancayo area, Peru, depicting a village festival. Depending on their shape, bottle gourds are cut in half to be used as bowls and plates, or left whole to be used as bottles. - Book: Picture 142 - Peru - 1977

This historical photograph shows the bustling Calle Real, the main thoroughfare and central street of the Peruvian Andean town of Huancayo (Junín Region), characterised by typical car models of the 1960s and the striking, round Inca Kola neon sign in the background. – 1969

The indigenous potters have never used a potter’s wheel, but they produce very beautiful functional and decorative items, which can be bought at one or other of the local markets in the Cordillera. – Quinua, near Ayacucho. – 1969

The Río Mantaro, seen here near Izcuchaca in the Huancavelica region. At this point, the river has carved its way deep into the Andes, forming imposing, steep gorges (canyons). – Peru – 1969

Potato harvest near the village of Jerónimo in the department of Apurímac, Peru. The tradition of communal farming dates back to pre-Inca times, creating a solid foundation for agricultural collectives and cooperatives. - Book: Picture 177 - Peru - 1969

Although the scene in the photograph is visually very reminiscent of the Mongolian steppe, the terraced slopes used for farming in the background, as well as the rider’s clothing (a typical Andean hat and poncho), clearly point to the highland Pampas regions of the Peruvian Andes. The photograph was taken 20 km from Andahuaylas. – Peru – 1969

The Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) in flight. It has dark plumage with a distinctive white ruff and pale stripes on its wings. It belongs to the family of New World vultures and, with a wingspan of up to three metres, is considered one of the largest flight-capable bird species in the world. Although the Andean condor is mostly associated with the high peaks of the Andes (such as the famous Colca Canyon), it actually descends regularly to the Peruvian Pacific coast. This photograph was taken on the Paracas Peninsula. In the Paracas National Reserve and along the nearby cliff-lined coast, the condors make use of the strong sea winds and updrafts along the steep cliffs to glide for kilometres without expending much energy. They are drawn there for one reason above all: the availability of food. On the coast, they feed on the carrion of beached marine mammals (such as sea lions) or the remains of seabird colonies. – 1977

Rock paintings from Toquepala, Moquegua Department, Peru. Traces of human settlement were found in the caves of Toquepala, which have been dated to around 10,000 years ago using the radiocarbon method. However, this does not prove that the paintings – some of which overlap – are equally old. Although they may well be attributed stylistically to a Palaeolithic hunter-gatherer population, they could also have been created by later peoples, given that various tribes in Patagonia and southern Chile remained at a comparable cultural level right up to modern times. - Book: Picture 57 - Peru - 1976

The Toquepala mine in the Tacna region is one of the five largest copper mines in the world in terms of reserves. It is operated by Southern Copper Corporation (a subsidiary of Grupo México). The railway line shown in the picture forms part of the private industrial rail network known as the Ferrocarril Ilo-Toquepala-Cuajone. The line was built around 1959–1960 to transport the mined copper concentrate directly from the deep open-cast mine over the Andean passes to the smelter and the export port at Ilo. – Peru – 1976

The photograph shows the mine railway within the Toquepala copper mine in Peru. The mines’ entire rail network comprises intricate hairpin bends along the mining terraces and a tunnel system over 27 kilometres long, designed to cope with the extreme differences in altitude in the mountainous region. Although transport within the vast pit is now mainly carried out using gigantic dump trucks (haul trucks), the railway link to the coast remains the main logistical artery of the mining operation. Peru – 1977

The city of Arequipa, founded by the Spanish as early as 1540 at an altitude of 2,370 metres, now has a population of around two hundred thousand and lies in a narrow high-altitude basin where agriculture is only possible thanks to artificial irrigation. It owes its nickname, ‘the White City’, to the white tuff used as a building material. Arequipa is dominated by the 5,842-metre-high Misti, one of Peru’s few active volcanoes. Only during the summer rainy season is its smooth cone covered by a cap of snow. - Book: Picture 7 - Peru - 1976

The green agricultural landscape, with its traditional terraced fields (campiña) in the foreground, is dominated by the striking, snow-capped volcano El Misti. The stratovolcanic cone of El Misti rises majestically to over 5,820 metres in southern Peru and dominates the panorama of Arequipa. – Peru – 1976

The valley of the Río Vitor near Arequipa in southern Peru. The river feeds the agricultural oases and fields in the midst of this extremely arid landscape of deserts and canyons. On the horizon towers the imposing, snow-capped Chachani volcanic complex. At an altitude of approximately 6,057 metres, it is one of the defining mountains that frame the basin around Arequipa. This panorama illustrates the stark contrast between the barren Andean plateau, the snow-capped volcanic giants and the fertile river valleys on Peru’s Pacific coast. – 1976

The rivers flowing down from the Western Cordillera cross the Peruvian coastal desert on their way to the Pacific Ocean. Around forty box-shaped valleys with broad floors and steep sides are carved into the desert plateau, which slopes gently down towards the sea. With their vineyards, lucerne fields and vegetable plots lined with rows of trees, they form green oases in a barren landscape. When travelling along the Carretera Panamericana and passing through these valleys, such as that of the Rio Vítor, one is constantly surprised by the sight of the fertile strips of cultivated land that criss-cross the desert. - Book: Picture 88 - Peru - 1976

A young lottery ticket seller in Arequipa, which, with a population of 200,000, is Peru’s third-largest city and the most important economic centre in the south of the country. - Book: Picture 184 - Peru - 1969

The Peruvian Puna is a land of tranquillity and solitude. Behind this herd of grazing llamas, the Ubinas volcano rises to a height of 5,632 metres on the border between the departments of Moquegua and Arequipa. - Book: Picture 102 - Peru - 1976

The photograph shows a herd of llamas and alpacas, led by a herder pushing a bicycle. The vast, bright plain in the background is the Laguna de Salinas (also known as the Salar de Salinas), and the striking, snow-capped peak in the background is the highly active stratovolcano Ubinas (5,672 m). This landscape forms part of the southern section of the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve, which stretches across the regions of Arequipa and Moquegua in southern Peru. – 1976

Sunset on the road from Nazca to Puquio, Abancay and Cusco. These giant candelabra cacti are a common sight on the arid slopes of this region. – 1972

The Yareta (Azorella compacta) is an extremely long-lived cushion plant from the umbellifer family, which grows in the high Andes of South America. It thrives at altitudes of between 3,000 and 5,000 metres in the barren, rocky regions of the Puna. The plant forms dense, hard, cushion-like mats of tiny leaves, which grow extremely slowly and can live for several millennia. Thanks to its compact form and resin-rich structure, it is perfectly adapted to extreme cold, drought and intense sunlight. - In the background, the Yucamana volcano (5,508 m) in the province of Tacna. – Peru – 1976

The Yareta (Azorella compacta) is an extremely long-lived cushion plant from the umbellifer family, which grows in the high Andes of South America. It thrives at altitudes of between 3,000 and 5,000 metres in the barren, rocky regions of the Puna. The plant forms dense, hard, cushion-like mats of tiny leaves, which grow extremely slowly and can live for several millennia. Thanks to its compact form and resin-rich structure, it is perfectly adapted to extreme cold, drought and intense sunlight. - Province of Tacna. – Peru – 1976

These majestic vicuñas graze on the vast plateaus of the ‘Reserva Nacional Pampa Galeras Bárbara D’Achille’ in the Ayacucho region of Peru. The road from Nazca to Abancay runs straight through the reserve, which lies at an extreme altitude of over 4,100 metres. It was established in 1967 and successfully saved the species from extinction caused by poaching. Today, an estimated 17,000 animals live in the wild across the plateau. – Vicuña wool is considered the most expensive and exclusive legal wool in the world. The Incas reverently called the animals’ fine fleece ‘the gold of the gods’. The fibre has a diameter of 8 to 13 micrometres. This makes it significantly finer than cashmere (approx. 15–19 micrometres) and about eight times thinner than a human hair. – Peru – 1972

This wayside cross, decorated with flowers and cloths, stands on the scenic main road between Abancay and Cusco in the Peruvian Andes. The crosses often mark sites that were already regarded as sacred places (huacas) or dedicated to the guardian spirits of the mountains (apus) in Inca times. The placement of Christian crosses led to the fusion of Spanish Catholic traditions with Andean animism. The elaborate decoration with bright strips of fabric and floral arrangements is typical of regional festivals such as the widespread ‘Cruz Velacuy’ (Festival of the Veneration of the Cross) in May, during which the crosses are carried down from the hills into the villages, festively decorated and blessed. – Peru – 1969

A traditional Andean farm in a barren Puna landscape at an altitude of over 4,000 metres, on the road between Puquio and Chalhuanca. The stone walls are used to keep alpacas and llamas together overnight and to protect them from predators and the wind. The small stone structures with conical roofs made of local ichu grass serve as temporary accommodation or camps for the herders during the grazing season. – Peru – 1972

A farmstead in the Limatambo Valley, surrounded by farmland and typical eucalyptus trees against a backdrop of massive, barren mountains. Although these trees were originally introduced from Australia, they now characterise the landscape throughout the valleys near human settlements. The farmstead lies at an altitude of around 2,500 metres, between the Anta plateau and the deep canyon of the Río Apurímac. – Peru – 1972

In the department of Huancavelica, Peru, an indigenous weaver sits in his corral just as he would have done in Inca times: the warp beam tied to the fence, the heddle board fastened around his waist. - Book: Picture 100 - Peru - 1976

A herd of domesticated llamas (Lama glama) in the mountain village of Licapa in the province of Cangallo, in the Ayacucho region. During major religious festivals – such as the famous Holy Week (Semana Santa) in Ayacucho – the herders decorate their finest pack animals with red and pink woollen tassels and ribbons on their ears. In the Andean regions, these ear decorations are often used by owners to mark their animals or to identify them during festivals and hunts. – Peru – 1976

Vicuñas grazing at 4,200 metres above sea level. Alongside the guanaco, the vicuña is the second and smaller wild species of the genus Lama. Its range is now restricted to the Andean highlands between 4,000 and 5,500 metres in altitude, where it grazes on barely visible low-growing vegetation. In adaptation to this diet, it is the only ungulate to have constantly regrowing lower incisors. Because of its wool, which is considered the finest and most precious in the world, it was almost wiped out during the colonial era. Bolívar had already enacted protective laws for this reason, similar to those that had existed under the Incas, who herded the animals into pens for shearing and then released them again. - Book: Picture 94 - Peru - 1976

A shepherdess with llamas and alpacas on the Altiplano, on the road from Abancay to Puquio. - Book: Picture 96 - Peru - 1976

Photo taken in the Peruvian Altiplano in winter. A herd of llamas near Pampamarca on the road from Abancay to Puquio. Ayacucho Department. - Book: Picture 92 - Peru - 1976

The route between Puquio and Abancay crosses several mountain passes reaching altitudes of over 4,000 metres. In these areas, the weather changes rapidly, so that even outside the winter months, sudden cold snaps and heavy snowfall can blanket the entire Puna vegetation in white. – Peru – 1976

The Apurímac is a water-rich river in southern and central Peru, known for having the most distant source of the Amazon. It rises on the slopes of the snow-capped Mismi at 5,597 m in the department of Arequipa and flows through deep gorges (pictured) until it joins the Mantaro to form the Ene. The name is derived from the Quechua words ‘Apu’ (god or lord) and ‘Rimaq’ (the one who speaks), which, due to the loud roar of its rapids, can be translated as ‘the speaking god’ or ‘the great oracle’. – 1972

Nevado Salcantay, the ‘wild’ mountain, is the highest peak in the Vilcabamba Cordillera at 6,264 metres. Machu Picchu lies behind it. Clearly visible here are the famous agricultural patterns on the slopes in front of it, which are typical of traditional Andean agriculture in this region. One can see an artistic ‘coat of arms’ created by the plough, on which the totemic symbols of the puma and the condor are recognisable. – Above Saywite, near the top of the pass, before the descent to Abancay. – Peru – 1976

A panoramic view of the city of Cusco, taken from the hills near the Sacsayhuamán fortress. The name Cusco means ‘Navel of the World’. According to Inca mythology, the sun god Inti sent his children, Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo, down to Earth. They were to found a city wherever a golden staff sank effortlessly into the ground – this happened in the fertile valley of Cusco. In the 15th century, the ninth Inca ruler, Pachacútec Yupanqui, radically transformed the city. He expanded Cusco in the monumental stone style and arranged the city plan in the shape of a puma – the symbol of power and strength. The head of the puma was the zigzag fortress of Sacsayhuamán. – 1969

Cuzco, situated at 3,500 metres above sea level and known as the ‘Navel of the World’, was founded by the Incas around 1100 AD. In 1536, the conquistadors destroyed the city and rebuilt it in the Spanish style, making use of many Inca foundations. Thus, the buildings themselves clearly illustrate the coexistence and simultaneity of two peoples and cultures, as is evident in the colourful street scene. The vast majority of the 120,000 inhabitants, however, are still indigenous people. Cuzco is the starting point for visits to most of the major Inca sites such as Pisac, Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo and Sacsayhuamán, but it also boasts magnificent examples of Spanish colonial architecture: the cathedral, the Jesuit church of La Merced, the churches of Santo Domingo – built on the site of the ancient Inca sun temple – and Belén de los Reyes. During the reconstruction following the 1950 earthquake, efforts were made to restore the churches to their original appearance from before 1650. - Book: Picture 80 - Peru - 1969

Cuzco, the sacred "navel" of the Tahuantinsuyo Empire, is today the archaeological capital of South America: Inca, colonial and republican at the same time. In front of the Plaza de Armas, the old ceremonial Huacaypata, stands the baroque church of La Compañía de Jesús where the Amarucancha de Huayna Capac once stood. - 1969

The historic Hatun Rumiyoq alley in Cusco features a masterfully constructed Inca wall made of massive, perfectly hewn blocks of green diorite. These blocks originate from the original palace of the Inca ruler Inka Roca. The stones were fitted together so precisely, without any mortar, that not even a knife blade can fit between them. Following the Spanish conquest, the conquistadors erected their own buildings on top of the extremely earthquake-resistant Inca foundations. The white façade in the upper section belongs to what is now the Archbishop’s Palace. Roughly in the middle of this wall lies the world-famous "Piedra de los 12 ángulos". This single stone has exactly twelve corners, which fit seamlessly into the surrounding wall. – Peru – 1969

Alpacas and llamas graze in front of the impressive zigzag walls of Sacsayhuamán, a monumental archaeological site of the Inca civilisation situated directly above the city of Cusco. The fortress was built in the 15th century under the Inca ruler Pachacútec Yupanqui. The heaviest stones in the complex weigh over 100 tonnes. The blocks were hewn with such precision and fitted together without mortar that often not even a sheet of paper can fit between them. The historic city plan of Cusco was laid out by the Incas in the shape of a puma – the symbol of the earthly world. Sacsayhuamán formed the head of the puma, whilst the zigzag-shaped walls represented the animal’s teeth (or the lightning bolts of the thunder god Illapa). The entire complex served primarily as a ceremonial and religious centre. Today, only around 20% to 40% of the original structure remains. The Spanish removed the smaller stones to build colonial churches and houses in Cusco; however, the gigantic megaliths forming the foundations remained firmly in place. – 1969

At 3500 meters above sea level, the cyclopean fortress of Sacsayhuamán dominates the city of Cuzco. With its three monolithic ramparts in the shape of saw teeth, this “Maginot Line” of the Incas “overshadows the pyramids on the Nile ...” (Tirso de Molina, 1583-1648). Some of these blocks of this giant puzzle, set like gemstones by unknown and great jewelers, are 9 meters high, 4 meters thick and weigh more than 350 tons! - 1969

This young indigenous woman is taking part in the traditional Inca ceremony Inti Raymi (the Festival of the Sun), which is celebrated annually on 24 June. Her clothing and headdress have symbolic significance. She is wearing an ornate crown made from dried agave leaves (maguey) and decorated with small sea snails. Her body is wrapped in a long robe made of natural moss. Beneath it, a traditionally colourful, patterned woven fabric can be seen. – 1969

A re-enactment of the Inti Raymi (‘Festival of the Sun’), a traditional ceremony from the Inca period honouring the sun god Inti. Originally established by Inca Pachacútec around 1430, the festival marks the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere and the Inca New Year. The event takes place every year without fail on 24 June. The photograph shows people dressed as Inca rulers, wearing traditional headdresses, colourful robes and carrying ritual vessels. – Cusco – Peru – 1976

Whilst the main ceremony of Inti Raymi (the Inca Festival of the Sun) traditionally takes place on the esplanade of the Sacsayhuamán fortress, the dances and musical accompaniment are often moved to Cusco Stadium to accommodate the crowds, as seen in this photograph, taken on 24 June 1976. The musicians play the traditional Peruvian Andean harp (Arpa andina) and violins to accompany the traditional dances (Danzas) from the various provinces, which are performed in honour of the sun. – Cusco – Peru – 1976

Musicians from the province of Paruro at the famous Inti Raymi festival (the Inca Festival of the Sun) in Cusco. They play a type of transverse flute, the flauta andina (Andean transverse flute), which is often referred to regionally as a pifano or pífano andino. It is traditionally made entirely from local bamboo (caña) or Andean wood. Such rustic bamboo flutes are typical of rural music groups (Bandas de Músicos Tradicionales) in the highlands of Cusco. They accompany festive dances and ceremonial processions at indigenous celebrations. – Peru – 1969

The picture shows traditional Peruvian Andean inhabitants holding so-called pututos (ceremonial wind instruments made from large sea shells) in their hands. The pututo is a prepared conch shell (often Lobatus galeatus) that has been used in the Andes since pre-Columbian times. The instrument produces a very loud, deep sound and was originally used to gather communities, send signals over long distances or initiate sacred rituals. The people are wearing typical, hand-woven Peruvian ponchos with fringes and traditional legwear. – Inti Raymi in Cusco – Peru – 1976

The photograph shows a large crowd sitting on the historic Inca stone walls of the Sacsayhuamán fortress in Cusco, watching the re-enactment of the ancient rituals and dances of the traditional Inti Raymi sun festival up close. – Peru – 1976

The Corpus Cristi festival, brought by the Spanish, acquires a special splendor every year in Cuzco. During the ceremony, the statues of twelve saints are shouldered around the Plaza de Armas. – 1969

A street food vendor in Cusco who prepares traditional anticuchos on a small metal grill; this is a traditional, very popular dish in Peru and Bolivia. The skewers consist of thinly sliced beef heart (anticuchos de corazón). The meat is very lean, has a firm texture and tastes juicy and spicy once grilled. It is marinated for hours in a mixture of ají panca (a Peruvian red chilli variety), garlic, vinegar, cumin and herbs. A typical side dish is usually a boiled potato or thick slices of Andean maize (choclo). – Book: Image 186 – Peru – 1969

Detail of a mummy shroud (manto) from the Paracas Necropolis culture, featuring human figures holding fans and ceremonial staffs. Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima, Peru. - Book: Picture 71 - Peru - 1977

‘To the Liberator of Peru, Don Simón Bolívar’. Historical painting by Santiago Juárez, 1825. Museo Histórico Regional de Cuzco, Peru. - Book: Picture 136 - Peru - 1976

Vessel with a double spout and loop handles from the Nazca culture. This culture, which flourished during the Classical Period of pre-Columbian Peru between 100 and 800 AD in the coastal valleys of Ica, Pisco and Nazca, influenced both the surrounding areas and later cultures, right up to the Incas, with its outstanding pottery featuring vibrant colours. Museo Regional de Ica, Peru. - Book: Picture 68 - Peru - 1969

Virgin Mary (oil on wood, 37 x 54.5 cm). School of Cajamarca. Juan Reiser Collection, Lima, Peru. - Book: Picture 135 - Peru - 1976

The Bolivian talisman, which embodies the power of Pachamama, symbolises the stages of life and fertility: on the left, a bearded old man; in the centre, a zampoña player; and on the right, a nursing woman (height 7 cm, Eva Bruggmann Collection, Yverdon). - Book: Picture 109 - Peru - 1977

Flute player in the pueblo of Checacupe (3,430 m above sea level), Cuzco Department. Unlike the indigenous wind instruments, which all have specific names (kena, pincullo, etc.), the flutes are simply called ‘flauta’, which suggests that they only came into being after the Conquista as replicas of the European instrument. - Book: Picture 116 - Peru - 1976

Sunday market in Chinchero, Cusco Department. Just as in Inca times, one can still recognise tribal or local affiliations today by the hats or the patterns on the ponchos. For example, the Cuzqueños wear a sort of doctoral cap; the hat from Pisac is gently curved, and those wearing the stiff white hats with coloured ribbons all come from the same area. - Book: Picture 112 - Peru - 1969

Sunday market in Chinchero, Cusco Department. The equivalent of a European sausage stall – an open-air kitchen. - Book: Picture 115 - Peru - 1976

Sunday market in Chinchero, Cusco Department. Chicha seller – maize beer was probably known soon after maize was first cultivated. - Book: Picture 113 - Peru - 1976

An indigenous woman from Chinchero wearing the hat typical of the Cuzco region. The borders on the top of the hat symbolise the Inca empire of Tahuantinsuyu, the empire of the four corners of the world with Cuzco at its centre. The delicate motifs on the manta are also characteristic of this region. - Book: Picture 101 - Peru - 1969

Fruit sellers at Cusco railway station. - Book: Picture 114 - Peru - 1973

Indigenous people in the small church at Ollantaytambo in the Urubamba Valley, above Machu Picchu, in the Department of Cuzco. Under the zealous Spanish missionaries, the indigenous people were very quickly converted to Catholicism; yet, on closer inspection, the old customs and deities can still be found beneath the European veneer in all the rites. For example, St James, the patron saint of the Spaniards, is celebrated with great fervour on 25 July, yet at the same time this day marks the festival of the mountain god Taita Wamani, and Pachamama, the Mother Earth from pre-Inca times, is today identified in many places with the Virgin Mary. - Book: Picture 108 - Peru - 1969

The famous Inca ruin city of Machu Picchu, photographed from the opposite peak of Huayna Picchu. On the left, on the hillside, you can see the winding road (Carretera Hiram Bingham) along which buses climb up from Aguas Calientes. The photograph looks south from the higher slopes of Huayna Picchu towards the ridge below, on which stands the citadel of Machu Picchu. The agricultural terraces and stone buildings of the historic Inca site lie at an altitude of around 2,430 metres. – 1976

The Inca mountain fortress of Machu Picchu, situated at an altitude of 2,690 metres, set against the cone of Huayna Picchu. None of the Spanish conquistadors mention this city on the edge of the jungle, overlooking the River Urubamba (on the right), one of the headwaters of the Amazon. Like other pucaras (fortified settlements), Machu Picchu was self-sufficient in an emergency, but the terraced fields could feed no more than 500 people. This late Inca complex contains buildings of various styles, foremost among them the Royal Palace, constructed from beautifully hewn granite blocks with trapezoidal gateways and window openings. But there are also densely packed, simple stone huts and barrack-like quarters for the soldiers. An oval tower – the only one of its kind – has led to speculation that Machu Picchu was further expanded even after the arrival of the Spaniards. The city was not discovered until 1911 by an expedition searching for the legendary last Inca fortress, Vilcabamba. - Book: Picture 81 - Peru - 1976

The mountain fortress of Machu Picchu, Peru. Initially, it was believed that the various types of masonry found in Cuzco, Machu Picchu and other Inca structures dated from different periods. Today, it is thought that both the walls constructed from interlocking megalithic blocks and those made from smooth, uniformly sized stones, as well as the mortar-bonded fieldstone technique were all employed by the same master builders from the period after 1440, depending on their intended purpose: the megalithic construction method for retaining walls, smooth, evenly rounded ashlars for representative buildings, and mortar-bonded rubble stone walls – alongside adobe bricks – for functional buildings. In Machu Picchu, however, various elements, such as the oval Torreón, suggest that construction continued here even into the colonial period. Inca architecture otherwise features only rectangular or trapezoidal shapes, and vertical arches are completely absent, which, for example, imposed certain limitations on the construction of gates. - Book: Picture 125 - Peru - 1969

The Intihuatana, the ‘resting place of the sun’ or ‘stone to which the sun is tied’, at Machu Picchu. Depending on the shadow cast by this stone, the Inca priests determined the season and thus the time for sowing, an approaching rainy season, and so on. - Book: Picture 127 - Peru - 1976

In a widening of the deeply incised Urubamba Valley, which links Cuzco with Machu Picchu, lies the small town of Pisac, famous for its Sunday market. On the slopes above the town, artfully laid out agricultural terraces have stretched upwards since Inca times, transforming even the steepest mountain flanks into gigantic staircases that were used for growing potatoes, maize, oca and quinoa. - Book: Picture 126 - Peru - 1976

On the way from Acomayo to Urcos in the Cusco region, you pass this waterfall. – Peru – 1976

The striking, rugged peak in the background is Cerro Antapunco in the province of Acomayo in the department of Cusco (4,824 m). The name comes from Quechua (anta meaning ‘copper’ and puncu meaning ‘gate’), which roughly translates as ‘Copper Gate’. In contrast to the heavily touristed Sacred Valley to the north of Cusco, this photograph shows the rugged, equally historic landscape to the south of the regional capital. The slopes in the foreground bear witness to the deeply rooted, traditional Andean farming practices that have adapted to the extreme high-altitude conditions. – 1976

Llamas have traditionally served as important pack animals for transporting goods in the Andes. – A plateau in the Acomayo region, south of Cusco. The striking, (still!) snow-capped peak in the background is Nevado Accoyac. – Peru – 1976

The village of Acomayo (at an altitude of 3,770 metres) in the department of Cuzco. The pueblo is a residential and productive community which, as an ayllu, dates back to pre-Inca times, although the Spanish determined the location and number of today’s pueblos. One third of a village community’s total land holdings is generally held in common and is also cultivated collectively, although the majority of the descendants of the Incas practise a purely subsistence economy. - Book: Picture 104 - Peru - 1976

The village of Acomayo (at an altitude of 3,770 metres) in the department of Cuzco. The pueblo is a residential and productive community which, as an ayllu, dates back to pre-Inca times, although the Spanish determined the location and number of today’s pueblos. One third of a village community’s total land holdings is generally held in common and is also cultivated collectively, although the majority of the descendants of the Incas practise a purely subsistence economy. - Book: Picture 107 - Peru - 1976

The village of Acomayo (at an altitude of 3,770 metres) in the department of Cuzco. The pueblo is a residential and productive community which, as an ayllu, dates back to pre-Inca times, although the Spanish determined the location and number of today’s pueblos. One third of a village community’s total land holdings is generally held in common and is also cultivated collectively, although the majority of the descendants of the Incas practise a purely subsistence economy. - Book: Picture 105 - Peru - 1976

The village of Acomayo (at an altitude of 3,770 metres) in the department of Cuzco. The pueblo is a residential and productive community which, as an ayllu, dates back to pre-Inca times, although the Spanish determined the location and number of today’s pueblos. One third of a village community’s total land holdings is generally held in common and is also cultivated collectively, although the majority of the descendants of the Incas practise a purely subsistence economy. - Book: Picture 106 - Peru - 1976

Detail of a cycle of frescoes in an old mill in Acomayo (Cuzco Department) by Tadeo Escalanda (1807–1832), a mestizo who claimed Inca ancestry and who became known primarily for his frescoes in the church at Huaro (near Urcos). The detail shows an Inca princess, accompanied – in keeping with the fashion of the time – by a hunchback carrying her parasol. - Book: Picture 129 - Peru - 1976

Virgin Mary (90x120cm). The painting is thought to date from around 1690; it clearly reveals Byzantine influence, yet is attributed to the Cuzco school, which, alongside that of Quito, was the most important centre of training for painting, sculpture and the arts and crafts in the Andean countries during the colonial period. Museo Histórico Regional de Cuzco (on loan from Vega-Centeno), Peru. - Book: Picture 130 - Peru - 1976

The nave of the church in Andahuaylillas, a small town with a population of around 3,900 near Cuzco. Built at the end of the 16th century on the foundations of an Inca palace, the church contains many colonial treasures, which is why it is often referred to in Peru – in an effort to rival the Old Continent – as the ‘Sistine Chapel of the Andes’. - Book: Picture 133 - Peru - 1976

An indigenous man in the Altiplano of Peru plays the zampoña with a dreamy expression; its sounds (perhaps a ‘Yaraví’ or a ‘Triste’?) seem to capture all the melancholy of the vast expanse and solitude. - Book: Picture 6 - Peru - 1976

A campesino from the village of San Antonio de Chuca, Arequipa Department, Peru. The ear-flapped hat, known as a ‘chullo’, protects against the often biting cold of the Altiplano. Occasionally, the indigenous people wear a hat over the chullo to shield themselves from the glaring sun. - Book: Picture 82 - Peru - 1969

A charango player in the department of Cuzco, Peru. Stringed instruments appear to have been unknown to pre-Columbian civilisations. The original charango is a small guitar whose soundbox is made from an armadillo shell. Its rather high-pitched sound is produced by five or six pairs of strings. - Book: Picture 143 - Peru - 1976

This photograph shows a ceremony for Pachamama, which was held at 4 am at -17 °C. The offerings consist of coca leaves, salt, brandy, chicha, cigarettes and food (Puno Department, Peru). - Book: Picture 111 - Peru - 1969

Nothing illustrates the economic and social diversity better than farming methods. Whilst tractors are used in some areas, the indigenous people on their small farms still work the fields in a way that has not changed since the time of the Incas. - This image shows the breaking up of the soil with the taclla, an agricultural tool originating in the Peruvian Andes. It is essentially a long-handled spade that the Incas have used since ancient times. Its shape allows it to be pushed with the foot into hard ground. - Book: Picture 90 - Peru - 1976

The church of San Juan de Chuquibambilla near Ayaviri, in the department of Puno, at an altitude of approximately 3,900 metres. - Book: Picture 95 - Peru - 1976

Photo taken in the Peruvian Altiplano in winter. An indigenous woman with a child in the Department of Puno. She is collecting dried llama or cow dung to use as fuel. - Book: Picture 93 - Peru - 1976

An indigenous woman cooking with her child on her back. She uses dried llama or cow dung as fuel and stokes the embers with a blowpipe. Puno Department, Peru. - Book: Picture 117 - Peru - 1976

On the shores of the deep-blue Lake Titicaca, small piles of straw or grain (quinoa or barley harvest) are stacked up. Beyond them, on the horizon, rise the mighty, ice-capped peaks of the Cordillera Real. – Peru – 1969

An indigenous couple return with their llamas from the market in Sicuani in the department of Cuzco. - Book: Picture 103 - Peru - 1973

Lake Titicaca, situated at an altitude of 3,812 metres and straddling the border between Peru and Bolivia, is fifteen times the size of Lake Constance. It fills a tectonically formed highland depression, is divided into several sub-basins by peninsulas and dotted with islands (Amantani, Moon Island, Sun Island, etc.). Two species of rush thrive on its shores, from which the indigenous people build their boats as well as floating dwellings. - Book: Picture 3 - Peru - 1969

An indigenous woman in a reed boat on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca. As the lake is only a few metres deep over large areas, the indigenous people use a long pole for poling as well as the reed sail. The striking resemblance of these reed boats to depictions of papyrus boats in ancient Egyptian tombs, together with certain parallels between Mesoamerican cultures (for example, the Maya pyramids) and the culture of the Nile Valley, has given rise to the most daring hypotheses. Thus, a few years ago, Thor Heyerdahl attempted to cross the Atlantic in a papyrus boat. However, this does not disprove the assumption that similar environmental conditions and the inherent properties of the available materials must lead to analogous solutions. - Book: Picture 145 - Peru - 1969

A portal in the village of Juli on the south-western shore of Lake Titicaca, which was a religious centre during the colonial period. This is commemorated by a whole series of churches, whose rich interior decoration bears witness to their former splendour. - Book: Picture 132 - Peru - 1976

An indigenous woman pounding chuño. To make chuño, the potatoes are left for several days and nights, alternating between drying in the sun and freezing during night-time frosts. Pounding removes the skins. The dehydrated potatoes can be stored for considerably longer than raw tubers. Bolivia. La Paz Department. - Book: Picture 119 - Bolivia - 1976

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