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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

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
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

This picture is a document. It depicts Angela Loij, who was born sometime between 1896 and 1898 on the estancia “La Sara” (Tierra del Fuego province). This woman is the last survivor from the Ona-lndian tribe, who inhabited a large part of Tierra del Fuego not so long ago. Angela Loij lives in a modest little house in Río Grande, the second largest town on the island, with the support of some clergymen who have settled in the area. The Ona hunted on foot. They consumed the meat of guanacos, foxes, birds and seals, but also shellfish, mushrooms, wild fruits and berries. They built conical, portable huts out of branches and covered them with skins. To protect themselves from the cold, they greased their bodies. The Ona lived in small groups of only about twenty people. - 1973

Fitz Roy 3405 m), one of the most beautiful Argentinean Andean peaks, rises in the Los Glaciares National Park (Santa Cruz province). Because of the harsh weather that prevails in the mountains, it is dangerous to climb. - 1973

Fitz Roy (3375 m), one of the most beautiful Argentinean Andean peaks, rises in the Los Glaciares National Park (Santa Cruz province). Because of the harsh weather that prevails in the mountains, it is dangerous to climb. - 1973

Guanacos grazing on the pampas. The Fitz Roy massif in the background. - Santa Cruz Province - 1973

The famous Andean train connects Buenos Aires to Santiago de Chile. It passes over high passes and through wilderness areas. Such is the case of Puente del Inca and Las Cuevas (Mendoza province). In winter, snowfalls are frequent and the train is sometimes blocked for several days. The railway runs along a track once used by the Incas. - 1973

The Andes Cordillera is the backbone of the South American continent, forming at certain points an impassable barrier. It establishes the natural border between the eastern, low-lying areas and the Pacific coastline, which extends westwards for thousands of kilometres. The Aconcagua (approx. 7,000 metres), dear to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, is the highest peak in the Andes mountain range. It rises majestically between Argentina and Chile. It is usually covered with clouds. Its ascent has tempted many andinists - the name given to mountaineers. However, it presents serious dangers. - 1973

Colombia is the only country in South America that borders two oceans. However, the strategic importance of the Pacific and Caribbean coasts differs greatly. The hard-to-reach Pacific alluvial plain, lined with mangrove forests, contrasts with the rocky Caribbean coast, which is dotted with bays (picture). The major longitudinal valleys that separate Colombia’s Eastern, Central and Western Cordilleras also open out onto this coastline. The Magdalena Valley was one of the main gateways for the Spanish conquerors. To the east, the river delta is bounded by the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, whose northern flank—indented by bays, peninsulas and islands—is constantly eroded by the surf. - Book: Picture 13 – Colombia - 1977

Colombia is the only country in South America that borders two oceans. However, the strategic importance of the Pacific and Caribbean coasts differs greatly. The hard-to-reach Pacific alluvial plain, lined with mangrove forests, contrasts with the rocky Caribbean coast, which is dotted with bays (picture). The major longitudinal valleys that separate Colombia’s Eastern, Central and Western Cordilleras also open out onto this coastline. The Magdalena Valley was one of the main gateways for the Spanish conquerors. To the east, the river delta is bounded by the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, whose northern flank—indented by bays, peninsulas and islands—is constantly eroded by the surf. - Colombia - 1977

The historic church and monastery of San Pedro Claver in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, with traditional buses in the foreground. The sanctuary is situated in the historic centre of Cartagena’s walled old town. The complex was built in the 17th century by the Jesuit Order and is characterised by its imposing stone façade, portico and striking dome. – 1972

This building is the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas in Cartagena, Colombia. The imposing fortress was built from 1536 onwards during the Spanish colonial period. It is regarded as one of the most significant and largest fortifications ever built by the Spanish in their colonies. Together with the historic old town of Cartagena, which is surrounded by city walls, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. – Colombia – 1972

The Magdalena Valley rift lies in the lee of the Colombian Eastern and Central Cordilleras and is therefore relatively dry. Open grassland, interspersed here and there with thorny shrubs and cacti, as seen here in the Neiva area, covers the broad valley floor. - Book: Picture 25 - Colombia - 1977

The Río Patía is the longest river in Colombia’s Pacific region and forms part of one of the most impressive landscapes along the famous Pan-American Highway between Popayán and Pasto. – Colombia – 1977

At the Pasta junction (Nudo), the three Colombian mountain ranges converge to form a high-mountain landscape that is difficult to classify. The rugged, deeply incised mountain flanks contrast with basins filled with volcanic ash and gently sloping foothills, which support the maize fields of the indigenous farmers. - Book: Picture 24 - Colombia - 1977

As the name suggests, five of the peaks in the Sierra Nevada de Mérida are covered in perpetual snow. Depending on the aspect, the snow line lies between 4,650 and 4,750 metres. A small glacier tongue extends down from the large, firn-filled cirque of Pico Bolívar (5,003 m), from which the people of Mérida used to cut blocks of ice to cool food and drink. To the right is Pico Abanico (4,900 m). - Book: Picture 21 - Venezuela - 1977

The Sierra Nevada de Mérida, approximately 500 kilometres long, forms the continuation of the Colombian Eastern Cordillera within Venezuelan territory. In its central sections, it consists of gneiss and granite, with young stratified rocks overlying both flanks. As a result of significant Tertiary uplift, the central mountain block reaches extraordinary heights. View from Pico Espejo towards the summits of Pico Humboldt (4,942 m) and Pico Bonpland (4,883 m). – Venezuela – 1977

Separated from the Central Cordillera by the alluvial plains of the Rio Magdalena and the Rio Cauca, the isolated mountain range of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta rises in the far north of Colombia. It reaches a height of 5,776 metres at Pico Cristóbal Colón. Dense tropical mountain and cloud forest covers the slopes up to over 3,000 metres; the snow line lies between 4,700 and 5,100 metres. - Book: Picture 14 - Colombia - 1977

Another view of the Andes! In the Tierra Templada – the climatic zone of the Northern Andes ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 metres – the lowland rainforest gives way to the tropical mountain forest. Thickets of bamboo, tree ferns and a lush undergrowth of leafy plants make it impenetrable without a machete. Added to this is the abundance of epiphytes and orchids growing on all the trees. The Cattleya, which comes in numerous species, is considered one of the most beautiful. The photograph was taken near San Agustín, where a rich culture flourished at the turn of the millennium. - Book: Picture 4 - Colombia - 1973

Another orchid of the genus Cattleya, which grows epiphytically on the bark of a tree. It prefers airy, light to semi-shaded locations. – Colombia, San Agustín – 1977

The photograph shows a traditional settlement of the Kogi indigenous community, with its characteristic conical huts, in the mountainous region of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia. The typical roofs are made of natural materials such as straw or grass, adapted to the warm and humid to cool mountain climate of the Cordillera. – Colombia – 1977

The Kogi Indians live in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. In the picture, the elongated building on the right is the men’s house, where the men live whilst they are in the village. The round houses, which are also thatched, serve as accommodation for the women and children. The Kogi meet only at certain times, about twice a month, for ceremonial celebrations in the villages; the rest of the time they spend – living separately by gender in two huts – in their fields, where they grow maize, cassava, bananas, pumpkins, sugar cane and beans. Whatever they cannot produce themselves, they exchange for chickens, pigs and other produce. - Book: Picture 15 - Colombia - 1977

A boy from the Kogi indigenous people, who live largely in isolation and preserve their centuries-old traditions. Traditionally, the Kogi make their own clothes on looms using natural fibres or cotton, as can be seen in this portrait. – Colombia – 1977

The entire life of the Kogi is governed by fertility rites and the strict separation of the male and female principles. This picture shows a Kogi man with the poporo, a gourd filled with powdered shell. The gourd is regarded as female, and the stick used to ‘fish out’ the lime powder is regarded as male. Over the years, the Kogi symbolically perform the act of fertilisation by using the stick to remove powder from the gourd and rubbing it onto the bowl, which, over time, develops a thick layer of lime. Gold figurines featuring similar calabash gourds, the lime from which was chewed together with coca leaves, have been preserved from the Quimbaya culture of the central Cauca Valley (11th–15th centuries). - Book: Picture 16 - Colombia - 1977

The traditional clothing of the Kogi is characterised by distinctive features. The woven tunic is made from hand-woven, natural fabric. Whilst adult Kogi traditionally wear entirely pure white clothing as a symbol of the purity of nature and the ‘Great Mother’, children’s garments often still feature coloured stripes (such as the earthy shades of red, yellow and black shown in the picture). A wide, robustly woven strap from a traditional shoulder bag (mochila) runs across the shoulder. – Colombia – 1997

A young Kogi mother wearing her jewellery. The Kogi are an indigenous community who live a secluded life in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia. The heavy, multi-layered necklaces made of colourful glass and natural beads, as well as the simple, white clothing made from hand-woven cotton, are deeply characteristic of their culture. - Book: Image 17 – Colombia – 1977

A boy from the Kogi tribe. The Kogi regard themselves as the ‘elder brothers’ of humanity. They see it as their sacred duty to preserve the ecological and spiritual balance of the Earth. They refer to the rest of modern humanity as the ‘younger brothers’ who are destroying the planet. - Book: Image 18 – Colombia – 1977

The Kogi Indians’ suspension bridge: liana loops hold together a structure made of tree trunks and other lianas, which is built without a single nail. - Book: Picture 19 - Colombia - 1977

A fisherman skilfully casts a circular cast net into the river in the shallow waters of the Río Anchique. – This river in the Department of Tolima forms part of the wider catchment area of the Río Magdalena. – Colombia – 1977

The floor of the Cauca Rift Valley, situated at an altitude of 800 to 1,100 metres, rises gradually towards the south, reaching an altitude of 1,760 metres at Popayán and continuing through the increasingly narrow Paria Rift Valley as far as the border with Ecuador. The picture shows the rift zone south-west of Popayán. - Book: Picture 34 - Colombia - 1977

A dense cloud forest in the Puracé National Natural Park, a spectacular nature reserve in the Central Cordillera of the Colombian Andes, located mainly in the department of Cauca and, to a small extent, in the department of Huila. The name comes from the Quechua language and means ‘Fire Mountain’, which is a direct reference to the volcanic activity in the area. Colombia – 1977

Deforestation in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia. – 1977

Landscape near Cuesta Boba, a well-known, striking stretch of mountain terrain in the Colombian department of Santander. The area is situated in the High Andes within the municipal boundaries of Tona, near the village of Berlín and on the major road between Bucaramanga and Cúcuta. Altitude 3,200 m – 1977

Agricultural area near Pasto, Colombia. - 1977

Landscape near Cuesta Boba, a well-known, striking stretch of mountain terrain in the Colombian department of Santander. The area is situated in the High Andes within the municipal boundaries of Tona, near the village of Berlín and on the major road between Bucaramanga and Cúcuta. Altitude 3,200 m – 1977

The natural regrowth of the slopes of the Eastern Cordillera in northern Colombia, which have been devastated by overexploitation, is hampered by the dry season, which lasts several months each year. The ravaged mountainous region, through which the Río Sube flows into the Río Sogamoso, is largely of no economic value and almost completely uninhabited. - Book: Picture 22 - Colombia - 1977

The impressive ‘Cascada La Candelaria’ is a spectacular waterfall over 150 metres high, which plunges down a steep rock face densely covered in moss and jungle vegetation. It is situated very close to the small village of Santa Leticia in the department of Cauca in Colombia. – 1977

In pre-Columbian times, the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia was densely forested up to altitudes of at least 3,000 metres. Spanish colonists and land-hungry mestizos cleared the forests and cultivated the steep slopes with maize and cassava. Rain washed the fertile humus layer down into the valleys until the bare gneiss was exposed over a wide area. Today, vast masses of scree fill the valleys, where rivers meander between gravel banks, as is the case here with the Rio Chicamocha in the department of Santander. - Book: Picture 20 - Colombia - 1977

The photograph shows the picturesque ‘Salto del Bedón’ (Cascada del Río Bedón), a mighty waterfall in the ‘Parque Nacional Natural Puracé’ in the Department of Cauca in the Colombian Andes. It is surrounded by typical páramo vegetation, including the striking large leaves of Asteropeia plants (also known as ‘giant frailjones’) and sparse grasses. – 1977

The photograph shows a section of the Río Magdalena in the department of Huila in Colombia. In this area, the still-young river emerges from the narrow rocky gorges near its source at San Agustín and flows through a deeper valley flanked by the foothills of the Andes. The photograph captures the landscape in the region between Pitalito and Garzón. – 1977

The Río Cauca in the Caramanta region (in the south-west of the department of Antioquia) forms one of Colombia’s most impressive river landscapes. Here, the country’s second-longest river winds its way through a deep canyon between the Central and Western Andean Cordilleras. Typical of this altitude are the striking palm trees that rise sporadically from the grass-covered slopes. – Colombia – 1972

Like the volcanoes Huila (5,750 m), Ruiz (5,400 m) and Tolima (5,215 m), the ice-capped Santa Isabel (5,100 m) also towers over the vast, moraine-covered plateaus of the Colombian Central Cordillera. - Book: Picture 23 - Colombia - 1977

Children and teenagers washing pans and clay pots on the Río Galíndez. The river is situated in the department of Cauca in south-western Colombia. – 1977

A Sunday outing by lorry in the Colombian province of Huila. In the Andes, lorries largely replace buses. - Book: Picture 40 - Colombia - 1977

In Santa Leticia, in the municipality of Puracé in the department of Cauca, right on the border with Huila, these ‘chiva’ buses are the main means of transport and the lifeblood of the entire region. Santa Leticia lies in the rugged mountainous regions of the Central Cordillera at an altitude of over 2,100 metres. These sturdy buses are often the only vehicles capable of negotiating the unpaved roads and mountain tracks. The buses travel fully laden with sacks of food, crates and crops on the roof. – Colombia – 1977

In the rugged Andean regions around Popayán (such as the nearby Tierradentro region or Puracé National Park), chivas are often the only means of transport capable of negotiating the unpaved gravel tracks. – Colombia – Cauca Department – 1977

A view of a slum in Bucaramanga, the capital of the department of Santander in Colombia, which is also known as ‘La Ciudad Bonita’ (The Beautiful City) or ‘City of Parks’. – 1977

Bogotá, whose full name is Bogotá de Santa Fe, is the most contrasting of the Andean capitals. Modern skyscrapers are increasingly rivalling the colonial stately buildings. From 1932 onwards, but particularly after the Second World War, economic development set in, leading to the formation of new industrial and residential districts, but also of vast slums. Whilst the city had not yet reached half a million inhabitants in 1945, this figure has since risen to over seven million. Bogotá was deliberately built by the Spanish conquistador Jiménez de Quesada right in the heart of the former Chibcha Empire; for a long time, it was therefore dependent on steamboat transport on the River Magdalena. Today, thanks to the railway, it is connected to both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, whilst passenger transport is predominantly by air. - Book: Picture 166 - Colombia - 1976

A view of the city centre of Bogotá in Colombia, featuring the striking Torres de Fenicia. These are two high-rise towers, each around 100 metres high, which stand out clearly against the historic and densely built-up cityscape. The residential complex was built in 1970. – 1977

The Edificio Aseguradora del Valle is a striking 20-storey office block in the international centre of Bogotá, Colombia, which opened in 1972 and is renowned for its curved, staircase-like façade design. The building stands at a height of around 74.4 metres and is characterised by staggered, curved concrete bands that lend it a distinctive visual dynamism. – 1977

The Edificio Avianca is a historic high-rise building situated in Parque Santander in the historic centre of Bogotá, Colombia. Completed in 1969, it stands at a height of around 161 metres. At the time of its opening, it was the tallest building in Latin America and Colombia’s first skyscraper to break the 150-metre mark. – 1977

This historic street in the La Candelaria old town district of Bogotá, Colombia, offers a view eastwards towards the steep slopes of the Andes. It is characterised by whitewashed façades, traditional wooden balconies and tiled roofs. La Candelaria is the historic heart of Bogotá, with its numerous narrow alleyways, museums and colonial churches. – 1977

A golden breast ornament from the Tolima culture, Colombia, depicting a bird-human hybrid with an openwork central section and an anchor-like base (10.5 x 19.2 cm, 184 g). Museo del Oro, Bogotá, Colombia. - Book: Picture 63 - Colombia - 1973

‘Tierradentro’ (land that lies within) forms part of the area now inhabited by the Paez people. Links are thought to exist between the cultures of San Agustín and Tierradentro; in any case, similar guardian figures are found at both sites. Tierradentro, however, occupies a special place amongst pre-Columbian cultures because of its burial chambers: caverns carved out of chalk sandstone, measuring up to 70 square metres, which are entirely painted with geometric patterns. The predominant colour of red serves as a reminder that in Mexico, too, the colour of the dead is red. - Book: Picture 60 - Colombia - 1977

"Tierradentro" (land that lies inside) belongs to the present settlement area of the Páez Indians. It is assumed that there is a connection between the cultures of San Agustín and Tierradentro, but in any case similar guardian figures can be found in both places. Tierradentro occupies a special place among the pre-Columbian cultures, however, because of its burial chambers: caverns of up to 70 square metres, hewn in chalk sandstone and completely painted with geometric ornaments. The predominant red colour reminds us that the colour of the dead is red in Mexico too. - Detail of burial chamber 10. - 1977

"Tierradentro" (land that lies inside) belongs to the present settlement area of the Páez Indians. It is assumed that there is a connection between the cultures of San Agustín and Tierradentro, but in any case similar guardian figures can be found in both places. Tierradentro occupies a special place among the pre-Columbian cultures, however, because of its burial chambers: caverns of up to 70 square metres, hewn in chalk sandstone and completely painted with geometric ornaments. The predominant red colour reminds us that the colour of the dead is red in Mexico too. - Detail of burial chamber 1. - 1977

This famous boulder is situated in the municipality of Aipe in the department of Huila, Colombia. It is known locally as the ‘Piedra Pintada’ (Painted Stone). The engravings, carved deep into the rock, were created hundreds of years ago by the pre-Columbian indigenous peoples of the region – presumably from the Pijao and Paez (Nasa) groups. Historians believe that this massive volcanic rock served as an important trading and meeting place for the exchange of goods (such as salt, gold and crops) between the tribes of the lowlands and the highlands. – Colombia – 1977

Monolithic statue from the ‘archaeological park’ of San Agustín (Huila Department, Colombia). The frequent depiction of human figures with big cat teeth bears witness to the jaguar cult that once prevailed here and, in conjunction with the child, suggests cannibalistic rites. The heyday of this culture is thought to have been around the time of Christ’s birth: by the time the Spanish arrived, it had long since died out. - Book: Picture 56 - Colombia - 1973

This statue is thought to depict a sun god holding two mazas (ceremonial staffs) in his hands and wearing the symbol of the tree of life on his headband. The various styles demonstrate that San Agustín served as a place of worship for centuries. Luis Duque Gomez, who has been looking after the ‘Parque’ for 25 years, distinguishes three phases. It remains a mystery why this culture did not spread to its wider surroundings, as other cultures in South America did. - Book: Picture 59 - Colombia - 1973

Monolithic statues from the "archaeological park" of San Agustín (Huila department, Colombia). The heyday of this culture is assumed to be around the birth of Christ: when the Spaniards arrived, it had long since ceased to exist. - 1977

Monolithic statues from the "archaeological park" of San Agustín (Huila department, Colombia). The heyday of this culture is assumed t to be around the birth of Christ: when the Spaniards arrived, it had long since ceased to exist. - Tumulus B - height of the figure 1.85 m. - 1977

The statue known as ‘EI Tablón’ was interpreted as a moon goddess by the German archaeologist K. Th. Preuß, who worked in San Agustín in 1913–1914: today, the prevailing view is that it depicts a dignitary bearing the insignia of his power. The variety of styles attests to the fact that San Agustín served as a place of worship for centuries. Luis Duque Gomez, who has been looking after the ‘Parque’ for 25 years, distinguishes three phases. It remains a mystery why this culture did not spread to its wider surroundings, as other cultures in South America did. - Book: Picture 58 - Colombia - 1977

Monolithic statues from the "archaeological park" of San Agustín (Huila department, Colombia). The heyday of this culture is assumed to be around the birth of Christ. - "El tablón" - coffin lid. - 1977

San Agustín culture, Colombia. A monolithic statue of a man with the ‘Second Self’, photographed at the Alto de las Piedras. - Book: Picture 43 - Colombia - 1977

Monolithic statues from the "archaeological park" of San Agustín (Huila department, Colombia). The heyday of this culture is assumed to be around the birth of Christ: when the Spaniards arrived, it had long since ceased to exist. - Tumulus 8 - The figure is 60 cm high, holding two fish in her hands. - 1977

Monolithic statues from the "archaeological park" of San Agustín (Huila department, Colombia). The heyday of this culture is assumed to be around the birth of Christ. - Tumulus B - The crocodile measures 2.40 m x 0.96 m - 1977

Monolithic statues from the "archaeological park" of San Agustín (Huila department, Colombia). The heyday of this culture is assumed to be around the birth of Christ. - Statue with a vessel in his hands. - 1977

Chimborazo rises as a mighty landmark, 6,272 metres high, on the western edge of the Ecuadorian basin range. Alexander von Humboldt had climbed the heavily glaciated volcano – which was considered the highest mountain on Earth in the 19th century – almost to the summit on 23 June 1802. He had not yet seen the eucalyptus forests in the foreground. This Australian tree was not introduced until around 1850. - Book: Picture 28 - Ecuador - 1977

At 5,790 metres, the Cayambe volcano is the third-highest mountain in Ecuador. On its slopes, at 4,690 metres, lies the highest point on Earth crossed by the equator. However, due to glacial retreat in recent decades, there is no longer an icy point on the equator. During the rainy season, however, the southern slope is often covered in snow, making it the only point along the entire equator where snow falls regularly. The photograph shows the volcano from a south-westerly direction. In the foreground, one can see the characteristic agricultural hills and farmland of Pichincha Province surrounding the town of Cayambe. – Ecuador – 1972

Another view of the 5,790-metre-high Cayambe volcano from the surrounding agricultural highlands of Pichincha Province, where the indigenous people (the Kayambi) have traditionally practised agriculture and livestock farming. – Ecuador – 1972

Cotopaxi (5,897 m) in Ecuador’s Eastern Cordillera is the highest active volcano on Earth. Although it has not erupted since 1928, the column of smoke rising above its smooth summit on cool days proves that it is by no means extinct. - Book: Picture 33 - Ecuador - 1973

The Tungurahua volcano rises to a height of 5,016 metres, 140 kilometres south of Quito. Its most recent eruptions took place in the last century. The Los Baños thermal spa, situated at its foot, is Ecuador’s most visited health resort. - Book: Picture 32 - Ecuador - 1977

The alpine meadows above the tree line have their counterpart in the humid tropical Northern Andes in the páramos: vast grasslands dotted with tussocks of stem-forming composite plants. The silvery-grey, downy leaves and the stems of the espeletias (frailejones), scorched by willow fires, present a ghostly sight, particularly when the mist rolls in (Páramo de Purace, Central Cordillera of Colombia). - Book: Picture 35 - Ecuador - 1977

These cone-shaped huts are made entirely of páramo straw (ichu grass). They are a direct legacy of the Puruhá culture. They are actively maintained in communities around Cajabamba in the canton of Colta (Chimborazo province). The people wear traditional dress, which includes felt hats with short brims and thick woollen ponchos. These provide protection against the extreme cold of the Ecuadorian Andes. – Ecuador – 1977

Washing clothes by hand directly in the river and then spreading the colourful laundry out to dry on the neighbouring grassy areas is a very long-standing tradition in the Andes. It is still practised in this way by some locals today. – Scene on the Río Tomebamba in Cuenca, Ecuador – 1977

The Chota Valley is an inter-Andean valley in northern Ecuador, stretching along the border between the provinces of Imbabura and Carchi. In contrast to Ecuador’s generally humid and lush Andean highlands, the Chota Valley has a semi-arid microclimate. It is hot and dry all year round. The valley is one of the most important settlement areas for the Afro-Ecuadorian community in the Andes. The inhabitants are descendants of African slaves who were brought to the region by Jesuits during the colonial era to work on sugar cane plantations. – 1977

The Chota Valley is a region steeped in tradition in the north of Ecuador. The region is best known for its Afro-Ecuadorian community, which has preserved a culture that is unique within Ecuador. The population is descended from enslaved Africans, who were brought to the region by Jesuits in the 17th century. The ‘Bomba del Chota’ is the region’s best-known style of music and dance. It is characterised by the bomba drums. Traditionally, women dance to this rhythm with great skill whilst balancing a bottle perfectly on their heads. – 1972

The striking Mitad del Mundo monument (Centre of the World) in San Antonio de Pichincha, near Quito, Ecuador, is a stone monolith approximately 30 metres high, crowned by a large globe, which marks the equator. The monument stands about 23 kilometres north of Quito and commemorates the historic French geodetic expedition of 1736 led by Charles Marie de La Condamine. – 1977

The Mitad del Mundo monument. The trapezium-shaped tower, built of hewn stone, has its sides pointing exactly in the four cardinal directions, whilst the sphere mounted on top is encircled by a metal equatorial ring. Recent precise GPS measurements have shown that the actual equator lies some 240 metres further south. – 1977

An indigenous Kichwa woman from the Salasaka community in the province of Tungurahua, Ecuador. The distinctive light-coloured hat (muchiku) with a round brim is traditionally made from sheep’s wool. The elaborate, multi-strand necklaces (walkas) are traditionally made from fine beads and coral. They symbolise ethnic identity, cultural heritage, and the prestige and strength of indigenous women in the Andes. The woman is wearing a dark shawl (Chal or Fachalina), which is typically fastened at the front with a large, decorative silver pin or brooch (Tupu). – 1977

A girl from the Salasaka community (Tungurahua Province, Ecuador). The white hat is traditionally made from pressed sheep’s wool. It is a key symbol of identity during festivals. The hand-woven woollen shawl (Lishta) is often patterned with fine stripes. It is crossed over the chest and fastened with a silver brooch (tupu). Wearing walkas (multi-strand necklaces made of red coral or beads) is a typical form of jewellery for women and girls. – 1977

A young girl from the indigenous Kichwa community in the Otavalo region of the Ecuadorian highlands, dressed in traditional attire consisting of a blue poncho, a headdress and multiple layers of gold bead necklaces. – 1977

One of the most famous indigenous markets in the Andes takes place every Saturday in Otavalo (Imbabura Province, Ecuador). The Otavaleños enjoy an excellent reputation as trading partners and merchants; they can be found everywhere on the roads of the Andes, carrying their wares on their backs. Their market has become a major tourist attraction, featuring cockfights in the afternoon and bullfights in June. Alongside their own products, they sell the Salasacas’ cloths and rugs here. - Book: Picture 27 - Ecuador - 1977

A scene from the Sunday market in Riobamba, Chimborazo Province, Ecuador. - Book: Picture 30 - Ecuador - 1977

A craftswoman weaving a traditional toquilla straw hat (often mistakenly referred to as a ‘Panama hat’). Cuenca in Ecuador is regarded worldwide as the most important centre for the production and export of these famous toquilla straw hats. They are painstakingly hand-woven from the fine fibres of the toquilla palm. Whilst the weaving of the rough forms often takes place in the surrounding villages of the province of Azuay, the hats are washed, bleached, moulded into shape and finished in the workshops and factories in Cuenca itself. The traditional weaving of these straw hats in Ecuador has been officially inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. – 1977

Cuenca in Ecuador is regarded as the global centre for the processing and export of genuine toquilla straw hats. Whilst the fine straw is harvested on the coast and is often woven by hand in rural areas, the hats are finished in Cuenca’s renowned workshops. The hat blanks are cleaned to preserve their characteristic light colour. The protruding straw strands visible in the photograph are carefully trimmed by hand. The hat is shaped into its typical form using either traditional or modern hydraulic presses and heat. Finally, the inner sweatband and the classic black outer band are sewn on. – 1977

A Salasaca man in traditional dress – a black poncho, white trousers and a white shirt – at the loom. The barren soil of the central Ecuadorian province of Tungurahua, around the town of Ambato, has forced the Salasacas, a tribe of around two thousand indigenous people, to pursue a second source of income alongside farming. Their rugs, featuring bird and animal motifs, are famous far and wide. The Otavaleños usually handle the distribution of the textiles. - Book: Picture 26 - Ecuador - 1977

Sunday market in Cajabamba, west of Riobamba. Two hundred varieties of potato, ranging from small white tubers to huge red sweet potatoes, a dozen varieties of maize, quinoa (‘Peruvian rice’), pulses, as well as animal feed and, occasionally, modern fertilisers and colourings are on offer at these markets. - Book: Picture 31 - Ecuador - 1976

A Salasaca indigenous man weaving a wide belt, known as a ‘faja’. Traditional patterns include birds, deer, cats and other stylised animals. - Book: Picture 139 - Ecuador - 1976

Lunch at the Sunday market in Cajabamba, Chimborazo Province, Ecuador. - Book: Picture 137 - Ecuador - 1976

Riobamba is the economic and administrative centre of the Ecuadorian province of Chimborazo. The photograph shows the old, historic coach station (Terminal Terrestre) and an adjacent market square in the 1970s. Riobamba links the coastal region with the Andean highlands. The buses in the background display the nearby destinations of Guamote and Colta, two historically significant indigenous communities in the immediate vicinity. – 1977

A scene from the Sunday market in Riobamba, Chimborazo Province, Ecuador. - Book: Picture 29 - Ecuador - 1977

An indigenous woman from Riobamba in her traditional dress, carrying her child on her back in a sling. The brown felt hat is typical of the indigenous population (mostly Kichwa) of Chimborazo Province around Riobamba; it is a distinctive symbol of indigenous identity and belonging in this region. The child is carried safely on her back in a traditionally woven sling. The poncho provides reliable protection against the cold in the cool high altitudes of the Andes. – 1977

A Salasaca girl from the town of Ambato, Tungurahua province - Ecuador - 1976

The Saraguros are known for their elegant and traditional black national dress. The women often wear distinctive white hats with black patterns on the brim (or black felt hats), dark shawls (reboso), colourful embroidered blouses and elaborate beaded jewellery (collares). The photograph shows a traditional gathering after Sunday mass, held directly in front of the church in the main town of Saraguro in southern Ecuador (Loja Province). Those present are carrying floral arrangements and wreaths, which is typical of religious or community celebrations within the context of syncretism (the fusion of the Christian faith and the Andean cosmovision). – Ecuador – 1977

Saraguro in the province of Loja, Ecuador. A particularly beautiful custom of the Saraguros is the flower offerings: every year, during the Christmas midnight mass, the ‘muñidoras’ are chosen. These women are then responsible for the flower offerings throughout the year. Using garden flowers, they create small arrangements in which tiny figurines, crosses and stars are hidden, and place these in the various churches every Sunday morning. Unmarried women arrange the flowers in specific round shapes; only elderly women or widows are permitted to create arrangements in the shape of branches. - Book: Picture 39 - Ecuador - 1976

Saraguro in the province of Loja, Ecuador. A particularly beautiful custom of the Saraguros is the offering of flowers: every year, during the Christmas Midnight Mass, the ‘muñidoras’ are chosen. These women are then responsible for the floral offerings throughout the year. Using garden flowers, they create small arrangements in which tiny figurines, crosses and stars are hidden, and place these in the various churches every Sunday morning. Unmarried women arrange the flowers into specific circular shapes; only elderly women or widows are permitted to create branch-shaped arrangements. - Book: Picture 36 - Ecuador - 1976

The Saraguro in the province of Loja, Ecuador. A particularly beautiful custom of the Saraguros is the offering of flowers: every year, during the Christmas midnight mass, the ‘muñidoras’ are chosen. These women are then responsible for the floral offerings throughout the year. Using garden flowers, they create small arrangements in which tiny figurines, crosses and stars are hidden, and place these in the various churches every Sunday morning. Unmarried women arrange the flowers in specific round shapes; only elderly women or widows are permitted to create branch-shaped arrangements. - Book: Picture 38 - Ecuador - 1976

An indigenous woman from the Saraguro culture in the province of Loja, Ecuador, recognisable by her traditional clothing and distinctive white felt hat. The woman is wearing striking silver earrings and traditional beaded necklaces. A silver brooch (‘Topo’, a traditional garment pin) holds her dark cloak in place over a red blouse. – Ecuador – 1977

The Saraguro in the province of Loja, Ecuador. The topos – the pins used by Saraguro women to fasten their ponchos – are unique to this tribe in that they feature a sun-shaped head. In Peru, they are spoon-shaped. - Book: Picture 37 - Ecuador - 1977

Quito. Page from Poma de Ayala’s *Nueva Crónica*. - Book: Picture 165 - Ecuador - 1976

The Virgin of Guadalupe (oil on wood, 26 x 37 cm). This miniature is by an unknown 17th-century artist and is attributed to the Quito School, which, from its foundation in the 16th century, had a decisive influence on artistic production in the Andean countries. Many of its pupils, however, remained anonymous. Miguel de Santiago (1655–1706) is regarded as the most significant painter of this school; like the leading sculptor Gaspicara (Scarred Face), he was an Indio. Museo del Banco Central del Ecuador, Quito. - Book: Picture 134 - Ecuador - 1977

Foot bowl from the Tuncahuán-Carchi culture with a bird motif (diameter 21 cm, height 8.5 cm). Museo del Banco Central del Ecuador, Ouito. - Book: Picture 51 - Ecuador - 1977

Bowl with monkeys - Tuncahuan culture - 500 BC to 500 AD - negative painting of beeswax and honey - diameter 19cm, height 8.5cm - Museo Banco Central Quito, Ecuador - 1977

Vase from the Panzaleo culture with negative ornamentation (top diameter 13.5 cm, height 19 cm). The Panzaleo culture flourished in the provinces of Tungurahua and Cotopaxi between 500 BC and 500 AD. Museo del Banco Central del Ecuador, Ouito. - Book: Picture 52 - Ecuador - 1977

Cañari ‘horseman-shaped’ vessel, Cañar and Azuay provinces, Ecuador (height 16 cm). Period of Integration, 500 to 1400 AD. Museo del Banco Central del Ecuador, Quito. - Book: Picture 69 - Ecuador - 1977

Ceramics of the culture Tacalshapa in the provinces of Azuay and Cañar, Ecuador - Integration period from 500 to 1400 A.D. - Height 16 cm - Museo Banco Central Quito - 1977

Ceramics of the culture Tacalshapa in the provinces of Azuay and Cañar, Ecuador - Integration period from 500 to 1400 A.D. - Height 23 cm - Museo Banco Central Quito - 1977

‘The Coca Chewer’. Clay figurine (height 32 cm) from the Carchi culture, Imbabura and Carchi provinces, Ecuador. Museo del Banco Central del Ecuador, Quito. - Book: Picture 75 - Ecuador - 1977

Vase in the shape of a nursing woman (height 24.5 cm) from the Carchi culture, Ecuador. Museo del Banco Central del Ecuador, Quito. - Book: Picture 77 - Ecuador - 1977

Pre-Columbian pottery - Ceramics Jama-Coaque culture (coast) - Height 39,5cm - Museo Banco Central del Ecuador, Quito - 1977

Pre-Columbian pottery - Ceramics Bahia culture - Manabi province - Height 64cm - Museo Banco Central del Ecuador, Quito - 1977

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

On the Bolivian plateau, the legendary creator god Kon Tiki Viracocha guards the secrets of a sunken world like a "sphinx". In the mask of a radiation-framed puma, he adorns the famous sun gate of Tiahuanaco, which consists of a single block of andesite, almost 3 m high and 4 m wide, weighing almost 10 tons. - 1976

View from the semi underground temple of Tiahuanaco to the monumental staircase with the six stone steps and the large restored entrance gate to the Kalasasaya. In the centre the "Ponce" stele of the Shrine of the Sun. - 1976

The Patio Hundido ("sunken courtyard") of Tiahuanaco is an almost square complex with a side length of about 28 m and is surrounded by an enclosure wall about 2 m high and with stone heads. - 1976

This Cabeza clava is located in the Parque monolios in La Paz. - 1976

A ceramic incense burner in the shape of a big cat (20 cm high) from the Tiwanaku culture (4th period, 667 AD). The tail is shaped as a handle, and the smoke kindled in the back cavity escapes through the eyes. Instituto Nacional de Arqueología, La Paz, Bolivia. - Book: Picture 48 - Bolivia - 1976

Vessel for grave goods - Tiahuanaco culture - year 667 to 1000 - height 18 cm - Museo Nacional de Arqueología del Instituto Nacional de Arqueología - Bolivia - 1976

Ceramic vase with modelled head of a figure from the 4th period of the Tiahuanaco culture - on the cheek a bulge due to the use of coca - the arrows represent the main organs of the person: the visor and the ear - height 14 cm - Museo Nacional de Arqueología del Instituto Nacional de Arqueología - Bolivia - 1976

Vessel with a ceramic portrait of an anthropomorphic head of a figure from the 5th period of the Tiahuanaco culture - the arrows represent the main organs of the person: the sight and the ear - Height 11 cm - Museo Nacional de Arqueología del Instituto Nacional de Arqueología - Bolivia - 1976

Grave vessel of the Tiahuanaco culture 5th period - year 1000 to 1100 - height 12 cm - Museo Nacional de Arqueología del Instituto Nacional de Arqueología - Bolivia - 1976

Ceremonial vessel with a crowned snake - 4th period of the Tiahuanaco culture - years 667 to 1000 - height 8 cm - Museo Nacional de Arqueología del Instituto Nacional de Arqueología - Bolivia - 1976

Large ceremonial kero - height 47.5 cm - the head is related to the sun gate of Tiahuanaco - 4th epoch - Museo Nacional de Arqueología del Instituto Nacional de Arqueología - Bolivia - 1976

Wooden kero with anthropomorphic head - height 19 cm - Museo Nacional de Arqueología del Instituto Nacional de Arqueología - Bolivia - 1976

Vessel in Tiahuanaco style - Height 12 cm - Place of discovery: Pukará de Quitor (province Antofagasta) - Museum San Pedro de Atacama - Chile - 1976

Bolivian street scene: A boy in the small village of Tiahuanaco, not far from the massive pre-Inca ruin complex of the same name, does his homework on the stone steps in front of his house. - Book: Picture 148 - Bolivia - 1976

The hilly, terraced landscape of Isla del Sol, which is the largest island in Lake Titicaca. Some of the stone terraces date back to Inca times and are still used for farming today. Lake Titicaca has deep blue water and is the highest commercially navigable lake on Earth, at an altitude of around 3,812 metres. In the background, you can see the snow-capped Cordillera Real mountain range in Bolivia. Among the most striking mountains in this region, visible from the island, is the Ancohuma (Cerro Jankhouma), which rises to over 6,400 metres. - In Inca mythology, the island is regarded as a sacred place and the origin of the sun, as well as the birthplace of the founders of the Inca Empire (Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo). Today, it is a popular destination for hikers and nature lovers, with no motorised vehicles permitted on the island. – Bolivia – 1976

The simple houses scattered across the picture, with their typical corrugated iron roofs, are characteristic of the rural communities in Bolivia’s Lake Titicaca region. The slopes reveal the millennia-old Inca and pre-Inca terraced structures for which the Incas’ sacred island is known throughout the world. – Presumably the area around Yumani on the ‘Island of the Sun’. – 1976

Relief depicting the four cardinal directions (40 x 60 cm) from the Chiripa culture of the Taraco Peninsula on Lake Titicaca, Bolivia (c. 300 to 1 CE). As the much later Incas called their empire Tahuantinsuyu, or ‘Empire of the Four Parts of the World’, it may be surmised that their world view already had parallels in this culture. Museo Nacional de Arqueología, La Paz, Bolivia. - Book: Picture 79 - Bolivia - 1976

The Altiplano between the ruins of Tiahuanaco and La Paz, with the Cordillera Real and the 6,500-metre-high Huayana Potosí in the background. The indigenous woman in the foreground is tending sheep and pigs. - Book: Picture 0 - Bolivia - 1976

Against the backdrop of the majestic Nevado Illimani (6,438 metres), a shepherdess walks past with her sheep. – 1976

From the La Paz basin, the road climbs over 1,000 metres to the La Cumbre pass (picture) at an altitude of 4,643 metres, before descending into the Yungas via countless hairpin bends through a deeply incised U-shaped valley, with the Cordillera Real towering in the background. The treeless scrub and grassy vegetation of the Puna still covers the saddle here, where indigenous people are resting with a herd of llamas. A little further down the valley, scrub begins to appear, until finally a dense forest takes over. - Book: Picture 2 - Bolivia - 1976

The famous La Cumbre Pass in Bolivia links the city of La Paz with the tropical Yungas lowlands. Travellers traditionally leave offerings at this strategic and windswept spot. These offerings – often bottles of alcohol and coca leaves – are frequently addressed to the Andean guardian goddess Pachamama and to Christian saints, in order to pray for a safe journey along the notorious mountain roads. – Bolivia – 1976

A panoramic view of La Paz, the seat of government in Bolivia. The photograph was taken from the surrounding mountains and captures the city’s unique topography, which stretches across a vast valley basin in the Andes at an altitude of over 3,600 metres. The dense urban development, which extends from the valley floor up the steep slopes, is clearly visible. In the background lies the snow-capped Cordillera Real. The striking, towering peak on the right is the majestic Illimani (6,438 m), the city’s local mountain and its landmark. In the foreground are steep, rugged rock formations typical of the geological features surrounding the La Paz basin. – 1976

With an elevation ranging from 3,630 to 3,770 meters, La Paz is the highest capital city in the world. It lies in a basin on the edge of the Altiplano, which shields the city from the high-altitude winds; the more affluent neighborhoods are therefore located as low as possible in the valley. Originally an Aymara settlement, the town was expanded by the Incas and conquered by the Spanish in 1535. With 800,000 residents, La Paz is home to about 14 percent of the country’s population, and 60 percent of Bolivia’s industrial production is concentrated in the greater La Paz area. - Book: Picture 149 - Bolivia - 1976

A panoramic view of La Paz, the seat of government in Bolivia, nestled in a deep canyon on the Altiplano. In the foreground, two local people sit in traditional Andean dress, looking out over the city. The dense urban landscape stretches across the steep slopes of the gorge. At the top left, the city merges seamlessly into the rapidly growing neighbouring city of El Alto, which lies on the flat plateau. In the background, the snow-capped Cordillera Real mountain range towers above. The most striking, gleaming white peak on the right is the majestic Illimani (6,439 metres), the unmistakable landmark and ‘guardian’ of La Paz. – 1976

The Cañón de Palca, about 25 kilometres south-east of La Paz. The photograph shows the striking view of the huge, eroded clay and sandstone walls that open up at the end of the gorge towards the small mountain village of Palca. They are made up of mud, clay and gravel left behind by prehistoric glaciers and shaped by the wind. – Bolivia – 1976

Surreal-looking, jagged rock formations and gorges, created by years of weathering of earth and clay. These striking clay towers and rock spires can be found in the Valle de las Ánimas (Valley of Souls) near La Paz. – Bolivia – 1976

The Basilica Menor de San Francisco in La Paz dates from 1743–1784. Its main façade, with its three portals, is regarded as an outstanding example of Mestizo art, a term coined to describe works that reflect both Iberian-European and Indigenous artistic sensibilities. However, the validity of this term is increasingly being called into question. - Book: Picture 131 - Bolivia - 1976

This photograph depicts an everyday scene of local women and men on the steps in front of the ornate wooden gate of the Basílica de San Francisco in La Paz, Bolivia. The backdrop is a prime example of what is known as Mestizo Baroque (also Barocco Mestizo). This architectural style blends European Catholic architectural traditions with indigenous motifs and symbols from the Andean region. The artistically carved stone columns on the left of the picture display these typical, intricately detailed reliefs from the colonial era. – Bolivia – 1976

EI Alto, the airport in La Paz on the Altiplano, is the highest jet airport in the world at 4,082 metres above sea level. Aircraft play a crucial role in opening up the Andes, as infrastructure remains one of the most pressing and unresolved problems. Not all roads on which buses operate are passable in all weather conditions - Book: Picture 180 - Bolivia - 1976

The Fiesta del Gran Poder, the Festival of Divine Power, in La Paz is arguably one of the largest and most colorful religious celebrations in Bolivia. The photo shows the characteristic Diablada dancer—the devil, who embodies evil and dances frenetically against the forces of good throughout the hours-long procession, only to be ultimately defeated by Divine Power. - Book: Picture 150 - Bolivia - 1976

The festival is officially known as the ‘Festividad del Señor Jesús del Gran Poder’. It is celebrated in honour of a representation of Jesus Christ and blends Andean beliefs closely with the Catholic faith. Although the Morenada is regarded as the dominant dance of this festival in La Paz, groups performing the Diablada (as pictured here) open and enrich the spectacle with great vigour and magnificent colours. The dancers belong to one of the traditional fraternities that parade through the streets of the capital every year in May or June. – This huge celebration has also been recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. – Bolivia – 1976

The Fiesta del Gran Poder, the Festival of Divine Power, in La Paz is arguably one of Bolivia’s largest and most colorful religious celebrations. The photo shows the characteristic Diablada dancer—the devil, who embodies evil and dances frantically against the forces of good throughout the hours-long procession, only to be ultimately defeated by Divine Power. - Book: Picture 151 - Bolivia - 1976

The Fiesta del Gran Poder, the Festival of Divine Power, in La Paz is arguably one of Bolivia’s largest and most colorful religious celebrations. The female dancers may be inspired by the North American tradition of majorettes. - Book: Picture 152 - Bolivia - 1976

A traditional devil’s mask (Máscara de Diablada), typically worn at the Chilean festival ‘Fiesta de la Tirana’, at the ‘Festividad de la Virgen de la Candelaria’ in Puno, Peru, or at the Bolivian ‘Carnaval de Oruro’. – This dance symbolises the eternal struggle between good and evil. The dancers dress up as devils (Lucifer or demons), who are ultimately defeated by the Archangel Michael and submit to the Virgin Mary. A magnificent, colourful multi-headed dragon is mounted on the mask. In Andean iconography, European conceptions of the devil blend here with indigenous mythical creatures (such as the sacred snake Amaru) and Asian influences. The large, protruding eyes are intended to create a fixed, terrifying gaze. The mask features a wide-open mouth with pointed teeth and a protruding tongue, which emphasises the demon’s malice and ferocity. – La Paz – Bolivia – 1976

A dancer in a traditional, vibrantly coloured red devil’s costume from the Diablada dance troupe. The Diablada dance depicts the struggle between good and evil and forms the centrepiece of the various carnivals in the Andean region around Lake Titicaca. The ornate devil’s mask is adorned with horns, snakes and glittering embellishments. The dancer wears a red costume featuring embroidered aprons, metallic embellishments and distinctive boots. – La Paz – Bolivia – 1976

The Fiesta del Gran Poder, the Festival of Divine Power, in La Paz is arguably one of Bolivia’s largest and most colorful religious celebrations. - Book: Picture 153 - Bolivia - 1976

Wedding in the village of Toledo, Oruro Department, Bolivia. The entire village population takes part in the celebrations. The bride and groom lead the wedding guests in a dance around the village’s main square. Friends have hung banknotes around the groom’s neck as a morning gift. - Book: Picture 120 - Bolivia - 1976

All Saints’ Day at a cemetery near Oruro. Every year, the indigenous people visit their dead at the cemetery and pray for them, as well as for ancestors who died long ago. They then sit around the graves, eat the food they have brought with them and drink chicha. They also visit the graves of friends to emphasise the strong bonds that unite people even beyond death. - Book: Picture 122 - Bolivia - 1976

In the Bolivian Altiplano, between the towns of Toledo and Corque in the department of Oruro, there are numerous shallow, salt-rich waterholes scattered across this barren high-altitude desert landscape. They lie at an altitude of around 3,700 metres on the western side of the Lake Poopó basin, where shallow salt lakes and lagoons form periodically during the rainy season. This is an ideal habitat for the endangered Andean flamingos (Phoenicoparrus andinus) and James’s flamingos (Phoenicoparrus jamesi). – Bolivia – 1976

On the way from La Paz to the Takesi Inca Trail, you pass this historic cemetery chapel with its distinctive, slightly leaning adobe bell tower and the small, chapel-like burial structures in front of it. – Bolivia – 1976

The world-famous Takesi Trail (Camino Precolombino Takesi) in Bolivia, one of the best-preserved sections of the pre-Columbian Inca Trail within the historic road network. The perfectly laid, flat paving stones and drainage channels were originally constructed by the Tiwanaku and Inca cultures. They protect the steep mountainside from severe erosion caused by rainwater. The highest point of the Inca Trail is the windswept Apacheta Takesi Pass, which runs at a spectacular altitude of 4,640 metres right alongside the snow-capped flanks of Mount Mururata. The photograph shows the paved ascent to this mountain pass. – Bolivia – 1976

Three prospectors in the Bolivian Cordillera Real at an altitude of 4,640 metres. Together, these three treasure hunters mine easily accessible deposits of tungsten, tin and gold; they call their method ‘makipura’. - Book: Picture 175 - Bolivia - 1976

The ‘Cerro Rico’, the ‘rich mountain’ of Potosí in Bolivia. Potosí, with its silver mines, was the source of the wealth of the colonial Viceroyalty of Peru. The coat of arms of the city, whose economic importance came to an end in the late 18th century, bore the proud motto: ‘I am the rich Potosí, treasury of the world, king of the mountains; to kings I serve as pasture.’ - Book: Picture 170 - Bolivia - 1976

A mining town in the department of Potosí in Bolivia. In the foreground is a massive embankment that serves as a dam to contain fine-grained processing residues (known as tailings or slurry). These waste products are generated during the extraction of metals from ore. In the background lies the densely built-up mining town. The extreme proximity of industrial waste dumps to residential areas is typical of historic mining regions in the Bolivian Andes and poses significant environmental and safety risks to local residents. – Bolivia – 1976

Man carrying a coffin in Potosí, Bolivia. In funeral rites, ancient indigenous beliefs are intertwined with certain Catholic elements. For example, a wake (velorio) is held, during which provisions for the journey are placed around the body alongside candles. The soul of the deceased travels for eight days to all the places the deceased had visited during their lifetime. On the eighth day, it returns, whereupon the deceased’s clothes are burnt. - Book: Picture 121 - Bolivia - 1976

A scene from the streets of Bolivia: In Potosí, a street vendor waits for customers; she is wearing the hat characteristic of this region. - Book: Picture 147 - Bolivia - 1976

An indigenous man ploughing in Chuquisaca Department, Bolivia. Often, however, the soil is simply loosened using a narrow spade, the taclia (see Figure 90). - Book: Picture 118 - Bolivia - 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

A scene on the way to Oruro: an indigenous woman who has spread her freshly washed laundry out to dry on the stony ground and on small bushes. Laying the clothes out on the clean ground, warmed by the sun, or on bushes makes the most of the strong UV rays and heat of the high-altitude sun to dry the clothes quickly. – Bolivia – 1976

A scene from the streets of Bolivia: An indigenous woman with a child in Sucre, the nominal capital of Bolivia, named after the liberator General Antonio José de Sucre. - Book: Picture 146 - Bolivia - 1976

In southern Bolivia, in the transitional region between the barren foothills of the Andes and the wetter valleys of the Tariquía National Flora and Fauna Reserve. Smallholders on the slopes and in the valleys mainly grow maize, wheat and barley. The picture shows the traditional method of winnowing (separating the chaff from the wheat or grain) by hand. The farmers toss the threshed grain high into the air using pitchforks or shovels. The wind blows the light chaff (husk and straw remnants) to one side. The heavier grains fall straight down to the ground and are thus collected cleanly. This method has been used for thousands of years. It requires no machinery and relies solely on the power of the wind. – Bolivia – 1976

Near Huanuni in the department of Oruro. Having finished their day’s work, a farming couple are on their way home. Whilst the urban economy in Huanuni is dominated by Cerro Posokoni and the tin mine, small family farms in the surrounding countryside, at an altitude of just under 4,000 metres, ensure their basic subsistence by growing hardy, traditional crops such as potatoes, quinoa and cañahua. The region around Huanuni and the nearby Lake Poopó suffers greatly from the environmental consequences of centuries of mining, which is why traditional, nature-friendly farming methods without heavy machinery remain essential for the farmers. A team of two oxen (yunta) breaks up the dry, often stony soil. The donkey often carries the precious seeds for the upcoming sowing before the rainy season. – Bolivia – 1976

Arable farming in the high-altitude Andean region of the municipality of Yunchará in the department of Tarija, in southern Bolivia. In the higher elevations of the Altiplano, frost-resistant crops such as field beans (haba), barley and camomile are primarily grown. In this remote highland region of Bolivia, the use of draught animals to plough the small plots enclosed by dry stone walls remains the most important method of preparing the soil before sowing. – Bolivia – 1976

Winding its way along the slopes in long hairpin bends, mostly without any engineering structures, this Andean road runs through the department of Tarija in Bolivia. - Book: Picture 182 - Bolivia - 1976

The barren desert landscape with giant cacti of the species Echinopsis atacamensis (also known as Cardón) in the Department of Potosí in the southern Altiplano of Bolivia. The plateau is strongly characterised by the dry, cold Puna. Alongside the massive Cardón cacti, the area is home primarily to hardy Thola shrubs and the characteristic Ichu grass. – Near Tomola – Bolivia – 1976

The historic ‘Puente Antonio José de Sucre’ (also known as Puente Sucre or Puente Méndez). The suspension bridge spans the Río Pilcomayo and connects the two departments of Chuquisaca (Sucre) and Potosí. The structure was built at the end of the 19th century (between 1890 and 1910) and is characterised by its distinctive, almost medieval-looking brick towers. Today, the historic wooden structure serves exclusively as a footbridge. – Bolivia – 1976

A gravel track leads to the Salar de Empexa, a lesser-known yet fascinating salt lake (salar) in the South American Altiplano, situated in south-western Bolivia (Potosí Department) near the border with Chile. It lies to the west of the world-famous Salar de Uyuni and is a prime example of the unspoilt, rugged high-altitude desert landscape of the Andes. – Bolivia – 1976

The old Church of Santa Ana in Chipaya was built of adobe (air-dried mud bricks) and had a fragile thatched roof (paja). The photograph shows the roof being repaired (1976). Due to the extreme weather conditions in the highlands (strong winds, sandstorms and seasonal flooding from the River Lauca), the unprotected mud walls of the old structure crumbled over the decades after the roof was damaged. Rather than undertaking a costly restoration of the old, dilapidated adobe church, a new, modern church building was erected in the village centre. The historic, free-standing bell tower from the colonial era, which was deliberately built in isolation and completely separate from the main building, remained standing untouched as an important landmark and ritual focal point for the village community. – Chipaya (Oruro Department) – Bolivia – 1976

The Chipaya tribe in the Bolivian department of Oruro, which now numbers just under a thousand people, inhabits a particularly inhospitable region of the Andean high plateau on the Río Lauca, which flows into a salt lake. The Chipayas are the only highland indigenous people who obtain part of their food through hunting, as agriculture and livestock farming alone are unable to meet their needs due to the highly saline soil. At dawn, groups of hunters lie in wait on the lake shore for flamingos, ducks and Andean geese, which they catch using bolas – throwing balls attached to long straps. The word ‘Chipaya’ comes from the Aymara language and means ‘a mat of reed or straw woven with reed cords’. To protect themselves from the strong winds of the Altiplano, the Chipayas have, in fact, had to tie down the thatched layers of their roofs with cords since time immemorial. The belief that the Chipayas are the direct descendants of pre-Inca populations is supported by mummy finds in burial towers from that period, which, amongst other similarities, display the same hairstyles that the women spend hours and hours creating. - Book: Picture 155 - Bolivia - 1976

Children of the Chipaya culture in the barren Altiplano of Bolivia. The Chipaya are considered one of the oldest indigenous communities in the Andes. They live in a very salty and isolated region near the Lauca River and Lake Coipasa in the department of Oruro. The boys are wearing the typical, coarsely woven, sleeveless garment of the Chipaya people, known as an ‘ira’ or ‘tipoy’. The girls in the background usually wear the traditional, very fine braids (trenzados), which have a distinctly African appearance. The houses in the background are the famous round or rectangular huts (putucus), built from peat and grass sods (tepes) and thatched with straw. This construction method provides perfect protection against the region’s extremely icy winds. – Chipaya – Bolivia – 1976

The Chipaya tribe in the Bolivian department of Oruro, which now numbers just under a thousand people, inhabits a particularly inhospitable region of the Andean high plateau on the Río Lauca, which flows into a salt lake. The Chipayas are the only highland indigenous people who obtain part of their food through hunting, as agriculture and livestock farming alone are unable to meet their needs due to the highly saline soil. At dawn, groups of hunters lie in wait on the lake shore for flamingos, ducks and Andean geese, which they catch using bolas – throwing balls attached to long straps. The word ‘Chipaya’ comes from the Aymara language and means ‘a mat of reed or straw woven with reed cords’. To protect themselves from the strong winds of the Altiplano, the Chipayas have, in fact, had to tie down the thatched layers of their roofs with cords since time immemorial. The belief that the Chipayas are the direct descendants of pre-Inca populations is supported by mummy finds in burial towers from that period, which, amongst other similarities, display the same hairstyles that the women spend hours and hours creating. - Book: Picture 156 - Bolivia - 1976

The striking redness of this child’s cheeks is typical of the inhabitants of the Altiplano. It is caused by a combination of thin high-altitude air, intense UV radiation and an icy wind. The child is wearing a typical, thickly woven woollen tunic or poncho, which provides protection against the extreme temperatures and the cold at high altitudes. The dark felt hat (often known as a bombín or bowler hat) is a key cultural symbol of the indigenous people of the Bolivian Andes. – Escara in the Department of Oruro – Bolivia – 1976

The Chipaya tribe in the Bolivian department of Oruro, which now numbers just under a thousand people, inhabits a particularly inhospitable region of the Andean high plateau on the Río Lauca, which flows into a salt lake. The Chipayas are the only highland indigenous people who obtain part of their food through hunting, as agriculture and livestock farming alone are unable to meet their needs due to the highly saline soil. At dawn, groups of hunters lie in wait on the lake shore for flamingos, ducks and Andean geese, which they catch using bolas – throwing balls attached to long straps. The word ‘Chipaya’ comes from the Aymara language and means ‘a mat of reed or straw woven with reed cords’. To protect themselves from the strong winds of the Altiplano, the Chipaya people have, since time immemorial, had to tie down the straw thatch on their roofs with cords. The belief that the Chipaya are the direct descendants of pre-Inca populations is supported by mummy finds in burial towers from that period, which, amongst other similarities, display the same hairstyles that the women spend hours and hours creating. The picture shows a typical pre-colonial loom. - Book: Picture 154 - Bolivia - 1976

An indigenous woman from Chipaya in the Bolivian highlands. Typical of the traditional costume are multi-layered ponchos or capes made of heavy, warm fabric to protect against the harsh climate of the high mountains. The intricate braided hairstyle, featuring woven hair ornaments and pins, reflects the cultural identity and centuries-old traditions of the Andean people. – Chipaya – Bolivia – 1976

This man belongs to the Chipaya culture, which is one of the oldest surviving cultures on the American double continent. His traditional identity is clearly reflected in his clothing: the hat is an absolutely distinctive feature of the Chipaya people. It is traditionally handmade from pressed sheep’s or alpaca wool. It has a characteristic brim and often features a dark band. Underneath the hat, he wears the typical, colourfully patterned Andean cap with ear flaps, which protects against the extreme, icy winds of the Altiplano. – Chipaya – Bolivia – 1976

The picture shows people in the ‘Salar de Coipasa´ in Bolivia, which, at over 10,000 square kilometres, is the largest salt flat on Earth. In the foreground is a small makeshift hut – or rather an igloo – made of salt bricks, in front of which people are standing. In the background, the Andean volcanoes (such as the well-known Tunupa volcano) can be seen, surrounding the flat, white salt pan. – Bolivia – 1976

Workers engaged in traditional salt extraction on the bright salt crust of the Salar de Coipasa. They break off and stack blocks of salt from the crust using simple tools such as poles and shovels. Historically, these blocks were used as a durable building material for the famous salt hotels and other accommodation, as well as salt licks for livestock (llamas and alpacas). The people are wearing warm, protective clothing and hats, as the climate at these high altitudes is windy and cool. – Bolivia – 1976

The two large salt pans of the Bolivian Altiplano, the Salares of Coipasa (picture) and Uyuni, are the remnants of a vast Ice Age freshwater lake, Lago Minchin. Due to low rainfall, the absence of tributaries and the extreme dryness of the air, the former freshwater lakes have evaporated into shallow lagoons and salt pans, their shores lined with deposits of common salt. Cut into blocks, the snow-white salt – considered to be of exceptional purity – is transported by lorry to the areas where it is consumed. - Book: Picture 158 - Bolivia - 1976

Traditional salt mining in the Salar de Coipasa in the Bolivian Andean highlands. Workers use simple tools such as axes or poles to chisel solid blocks of salt from the crust. The scene is set against the glistening white salt crust, with a mountainous backdrop in the Altiplano at an altitude of around 3,600 to 3,800 metres. – Bolivia – 1976

The Río Lauca is an international river in the Andean highlands, some 225 kilometres long, which eventually flows into the Salar de Coipasa, Bolivia’s second-largest salt lake. The river is the lifeblood of the highlands’ extremely arid ecosystem. – Ice has formed on the river overnight, which melts again during the morning. – Near the Salar de Coipasa – Bolivia – 1976

A herd of llamas grazes by the shallow, mineral-rich waterholes on the edge of the Salar de Coipasa. During the rainy season, parts of this arid landscape are transformed into vast, mirror-like expanses of water. – Bolivia – 1976

A herd of llamas is moving near the little village of Villa Vitalina on the edge of the Salar de Coipasa. Houses can be seen in the background. – Bolivia – 1976

A small village, presumably on the edge of the Salar de Coipaso. – Bolivia – 1976

The small Chilean border town of Ollagüe lies at an altitude of around 3,700 metres in the Altiplano. It is best known for its location directly at the foot of the active Ollagüe volcano (5,868 m) and as an important hub for cross-border freight transport. The railway line shown in the photograph forms part of the historic FCAB (Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia) line. To this day, this line is mainly used to transport mining cargo (such as copper, lithium and sulphuric acid) from the Bolivian mines to Chilean Pacific ports such as Antofagasta. Trains from Bolivia arrive here at the Chilean border station. This is where the locomotives are swapped between the railway companies of the two countries. – Bolivia/Chile border – 1976

The two large salt flats of the Bolivian Altiplano, the Salares of Coipasa (pictured) and Uyuni, are the remnants of a vast Ice Age freshwater lake, Lago Minchin. Due to low rainfall, the absence of tributaries and the extreme dryness of the air, the former freshwater lakes have evaporated into shallow lagoons and salt flats, their shores lined with deposits of common salt. Cut into blocks, the snow-white salt – considered to be of exceptional purity – is transported by lorry to the areas where it is used. - Book: Picture 159 - Chile - 1976

Penitential snow is a phenomenon associated with the high mountains of the subtropical and tropical dry zones of the Old and New Worlds. Snow cover that has formed during the wet season is subject to selective melting processes during sunny summer and autumn weather; these are governed by irregularities on the original snow surface and sculpt out closely spaced yet completely isolated firn spikes, which resemble a procession of figures in white penitential robes (penitentes). The photograph was taken at an altitude of 4,900 metres on the Huaitiquina Pass, which leads from Salta (Argentina) to San Pedro de Atacama (Chile). - Book: Picture 8 - Chile - 1975

The Chilean Puna de Atacama, situated between San Pedro de Atacama and the Tatio geysers, is a monotonous high plateau formed from rhyolitic lava. The bitter cold of the night covers the small streams of the Puna with a thin layer of ice, which had not yet melted in the early morning when the photograph was taken. - Book: Picture 160 - Chile - 1976

At the Salar de Ascotán in northern Chile. It is situated in the Antofagasta Region at an extreme altitude of around 3,716 metres above sea level – nestled within the breathtaking scenery of the Altiplano. The vegetation differs drastically from that of the surrounding desert. Whilst the surrounding area is dominated by shrubs, special perennial grasses and herbs grow right on the edge of the salar. The volcano in the background is (presumably) San Pedro (6,145 m). – Chile – 1976

Laguna Lejía lies at an extreme altitude of around 4,350 metres in the Puna de Atacama. You can see flamingos foraging in the lake. In the background are several volcanoes, including the Chiliques (5,778 m). It is an important mountain sanctuary for the local population, featuring a series of prehistoric ritual and logistical sites, some of which are estimated to be over a thousand years old. At its summit lies a 15th-century Inca ritual site. – Chile – 1975

Alero de Taira, some 75 kilometres north-east of the city of Calama, is a world-famous archaeological site in northern Chile, renowned for its exceptional rock art. It is regarded as one of the most important centres of pre-Columbian art in South America. The main feature consists of intricate engravings and paintings estimated to be between 2,000 and 2,800 years old. These are highly detailed depictions of llamas, often accompanied by herders. – The striking, pointed snow-capped peak on the far left in the background is Volcán San Pedro (6,145 m). Right next to it (to the right of it in the picture) is its twin volcano, Volcán San Pablo (6,092 m). These two majestic volcanoes form an unmistakable twin-peaked massif in the Atacama region. – Chile – 1976

The Taira Valley in the upper reaches of the Río Loa in northern Chile. The waters of the Río Loa flow through the deeply incised canyon, creating a narrow, green oasis of vegetation amidst the otherwise extremely inhospitable, arid desert landscape. Striking volcanoes, such as the nearby San Pedro, rise up in the background. The canyon is world-famous for its archaeological site, in particular the Taira rock shelter (Alero). It is home to some of the most complex rock paintings and petroglyphs in South America. The fine lines mainly depict llamas and served as a ritual plea to the gods by indigenous herders of the Atacameño culture for the fertility of their herds. – Chile – 1976

Rock paintings at Taira on the Río Loa in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile. These engraved and painted depictions of llamas are attributed to the Neolithic Atacameños. - Book: Picture 41 - Chile - 1976

The Quebrada Talabre in the Antofagasta region of Chile, with the Láscar volcano visible in the background. In the barren gorge, the traditional terraced fields, planted with greenery, and the stone enclosures – which were supplied with water via irrigation channels from the river – are clearly visible. In the same area lies the Quebrada Kezala, famous for its open-air museum featuring around 200 ancient rock engravings. – Chile – 1976

The Quebrada de Jerez (also known as the Quebrada de Jere), an impressive rocky gorge with a small river running through it, is situated near the oasis village of Toconao in the Chilean Atacama Desert, not far from San Pedro de Atacama. In this arid desert region, the flowing waters of the Rio Toconao create a green valley that allows fruit and other plants to be grown. The deeply incised gorge consists of striking, reddish volcanic and rock formations. – Chile – 1976

The Pukará de Lasana is a pre-Columbian residential and refuge fortress built by the Atacameños in the 12th century. The ruins of these impressive stone structures stretch along the cliffs directly above the lush green valley floor of the Río Loa (in the middle ground). The combination of the barren canyon walls, the agricultural terraces (andenes) in the valley and the Andean peaks in the background makes this site a unique cultural monument in northern Chile. The twin volcanoes of San Pedro (6,145 metres) and, right next to it, San Pablo (6,092 metres) dominate the horizon. A little further east lie the peaks of Cerro Paniri (5,960 m) and the Cerros de Tocorpuri volcanic complex. – Chile – 1976

Pucará de Lasana, an abandoned Atacameño village on the Río Loa in the Atacama Desert, Chile. The Atacameños practised terraced farming with artificial irrigation and built their dwellings close together so as not to waste the barren arable land. - Book: Picture 53 - Chile - 1976

As a high-altitude, cold desert, the Puna de Atacama is one of the most inhospitable regions on Earth. Bare rock and sand, lava flows and volcanoes characterise this forbidding yet impressive landscape. - Book: Picture 161 - Chile - 1976

The photograph shows a section of the old, unpaved tracks on the plateau east of Calama, between the famous oasis of San Pedro de Atacama and the historic Atacameño village of San Francisco de Chiu Chiu, which was a strategically important stop on the Inca Trail (Camino del Inca), as the river, with its flowing water, represents one of the few lifelines in the midst of the utterly inhospitable, grey Atacama Desert. – Chile – 1976

To the east of the oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama, the striking Licancabur volcano (5,916 m) rises on the border between Chile and Bolivia in the Atacama Desert. At its summit lies one of the highest crater lakes in the world. Historical ruins also bear witness to the fact that the volcano was a sacred site for the Incas. To the right of Licancabur, the slightly lower Juriques volcano can be seen. – Chile – 1976

Evening atmosphere over the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. The valley lies about 13 kilometres west of San Pedro de Atacama and forms part of the Los Flamencos National Reserve. The scene is characterised by sculptural formations of sand and salt rock, shaped by erosion and reminiscent of a lunar landscape. The Licancabur volcano can be seen in the background. – Chile – 1976

The Río San Pedro de Inacaliri (often simply called the Río San Pedro) has carved this canyon into the high plateau of the Chilean Puna. The striking, block-like cliffs consist of thick ignimbrite deposits (volcanic pyroclastic flow sediments). In the background rises the Palpana volcano. It is a massive stratovolcano, approximately 6,040 metres high, in the Chilean Andes near the border with Bolivia. – Chile – 1976

The Valle de Marte (also known as the Valle de la Muerte, or Valley of Death, or Mars Valley) near San Pedro de Atacama in the Chilean Atacama Desert. The valley is characterised by rugged, reddish rock formations of the Cordillera de la Sal, deep gorges, sandy slopes and structures heavily shaped by wind and tectonic activity. In the background lies the barren desert landscape with the striking volcanic cones of the Andes, some of which are snow-capped. On the right is the dominant, almost perfectly conical stratovolcano Licancabur (5,916 metres high). It lies exactly on the geographical border between Chile and Bolivia. Immediately to its right is the slightly lower neighbouring volcano, Juriques (5,704 metres). In the centre are the Cerros de Tocorpuri and, on the far left, the San Pedro volcano. – Chile – 1976

Snuff set - Origin: Quitor - Museum San Pedro de Atacama (province Antofagasta) - Chile - 1976

Tablet male - Origin: Coyo Oriental - Museum San Pedro de Atacama (Province of Antofagasta) - Chile - 1976

Handle of a snuff box from the Atacameños (found at Coyo Oriental), made of carved black wood with shell inlays (width at top: 7 cm). Formally, the depiction is reminiscent of the central figure of the Sun Gate at Tiahuanaco (cf. Figure 124). Museo San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. - Book: Picture 78 - Chile - 1976

Tablet female - Origin: Quitor - Museo San Pedro de Atacama (Provincia Antofagasta) - Chile - 1976

Arrowheads - in natural glass or meteorite showers - Neolithic period - Origin: Sequitor Alambrado, San Pedro de Atacama - Museum San Pedro de Atacama - Chile - 1976

Anthropomorphic jug from the Second Phase of the Atacama culture (height 19 cm) in the characteristic black pottery. Museo San Pedro de Atacama, Chile - Book: Picture 54 - Chile - 1976

Abstract anthropomorphic bottle - Second phase of the Atacameña culture - Height 18,5 cm - Museum San Pedro de Atacama (Antofagasta province) - Chile - 1976

Two anthropomorphic bottles, naturalistic left 19 cm, abstract right 18,5 cm - Second phase of the Atacameña culture - Museum San Pedro de Atacama (Antofagasta province) - Chile - 1976

Vessel Incisa - diameter 18,5 cm - Atacameña culture, last period of the second phase - Museum San Pedro de Atacama (Antofagasta province) - Chile - 1976

Carob wood duck - length 18 cm - Atacameña culture - Origin: Quitor - Museum San Pedro de Atacama (province Antofagasta) - Chile - 1976

Basket with figure with axe and 3 javelins - diameter 35 cm - Atacameña culture second phase - Museum San Pedro de Atacama (Antofagasta province) - Chile - 1976

Detail of a basket with figure with axe and 3 throwing spears - diameter 35 cm - Atacameña culture second phase - Museum San Pedro de Atacama (Antofagasta province) - Chile - 1976

Skull with a headband from an Atacameño grave of the Second Phase at the Quitor 6 site in the Atacama Desert. The grave contained only the skull, without the rest of the skeleton. Such ritual skull burials have not yet been recorded at any other site in South America. Museo San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. - Book: Picture 55 - Chile - 1976

Female skull with hair band - Atacameña culture second phase - Origin: Coyo Oriental - Museum San Pedro de Atacama - Chile - 1976

Skull of a child - Second phase of the Atacameña culture - Origin: Quitor (province of Antofagasta) - Museo San Pedro de Atacama - Chile - 1976

Mummy of a young woman - Second phase of the Atacameña culture - 300 BC - Origin: Solor - Museum San Pedro de Atacama - Chile - 1976

Skull of a man with Bonnet-Turban - with a blanket with geometrical figures - Atacameña culture second phase - Origin: Coyo Oriental - Museum San Pedro de Atacama - Chile - 1976

Mummy of a woman with child - Atacameña culture second phase - blanket with borders - volcanic rock and turquoise necklace - Origin: Sequitor Alambrado - Museum San Pedro de Atacama - Chile - 1976

Typical landscape along the unpaved gravel road linking the oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama with the El Tatio geysers in northern Chile. This route takes you to an extreme altitude of over 4,000 metres. Vegetation is almost entirely non-existent due to the extreme aridity of the Atacama Desert and the cold. In the background, you can see the volcanic Andean Cordillera, which stretches along the Chilean-Bolivian border, including the striking, partly still active Putana volcano (5,890 m), which rises directly behind the El Tatio geyser field. Cerro Tatio (5,208 m) gives the region its name. In the ancient Kunza language, the word means ‘The Weeping Grandfather’. Or the mighty Tocorpuri volcanic complex (5,808 m) right on the border, whose slopes you pass by whilst driving. – Chile – 1976

In the vicinity of the world-famous El Tatio geyser field in the Chilean Andes. The typical mineral crusts and outflows resulting from geothermal activity can be seen, set against the backdrop of the cold, barren Altiplano plateau, which is surrounded by volcanoes and mountains. – Chile – 1976

The El Tatio geyser field in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, situated at an altitude of around 4,200 metres. It is one of the highest geyser fields in the world. Activity is at its peak in the early morning (between 6.00 and 8.00 am), as this is when the temperature differences are greatest and the steam from the geysers rises most vigorously. The volcano in the background is the dormant stratovolcano Tatio (5,198 m). It lies directly on the border between Chile and Bolivia and forms part of the larger Tocorpuri volcanic complex. The name Tatio comes from the ancient Kunza language (Tata-iu) and translates as ‘the weeping grandfather’. It refers to the shape of the mountain range, which, from a distance, resembles the profile of an elderly man lying down. – Chile – 1976

An active geyser with a large fountain of steam in the El Tatio geothermal area in the Chilean Andes, at an altitude of around 4,280 metres in the Antofagasta Region. The best time to visit is early in the morning, when the fountains and steam are particularly impressive in the cold early-morning temperatures. – Chile – 1976

The rhyolite lava flows in the Chilean Puna de Atacama are associated with major tectonic fault lines striking in a north-south direction. The Tatio geysers, whose hot water vapour condenses in the cold high-altitude air, provide evidence that magmatic flow is present at shallow depths. It is rainwater that has seeped into the ground, heated up at depth and, due to the resulting pressure, is ejected either continuously or at regular intervals. - Book: Picture 162 - Chile - 1976

The impressive El Tatio geyser field is one of the highest and largest in the world, featuring numerous hot springs, fumaroles and rising columns of steam. Due to the extreme altitude (4,280 m) and the cold mountain air, the temperature difference between the hot water and the surrounding environment is particularly evident in the large clouds of steam in the morning. – Chile – 1976

The photograph shows the El Tatio geothermal field in the Andes in northern Chile, which lies at an altitude of around 4,280 metres and is one of the highest in the world. It is situated approximately 80 km north of San Pedro de Atacama. Over 80 active geysers spout large clouds of steam into the cold desert air, particularly in the early hours of the morning. – Chile – 1976

The Río Salado in the Antofagasta region of Chile, in the heart of the Atacama Desert. The river rises near the famous geothermal springs of El Tatio at an altitude of over 4,200 metres. As it flows, it feeds green wetlands (Vegas) and carves deep into the canyons of volcanic rock. It eventually flows westwards and joins the Río Loa as a major tributary. – Chile – 1976

The Chilean Exploration Company, a subsidiary of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, had been operating the copper mines at Chuquicamata since 1905. Together with the Braden Copper Company and Anden Copper Mining, these three North American companies controlled 95 per cent of copper mining. As copper was the country’s most important source of foreign exchange, the nationalisation of the copper mines became one of the most important political tasks. In 1971, Salvador Allende nationalised the copper industry, a measure that even the military junta was unable to reverse following its coup. - Book: Picture 171 - Chile - 1976

The copper mines of Chuquicamata, situated at 2,800 metres in the Puna de Atacama. The reserves of copper ore in this, the world’s largest open-cast copper mine, are estimated at around one billion tonnes. - Book: Picture 169 - Chile - 1976

Chuquicamata is the world’s largest open-cast copper mine and is situated in the heart of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. The mine’s enormous pit is more than 4 kilometres long, 3 kilometres wide and over 1,000 metres deep. – The photograph shows the extracted ore being smelted at extremely high temperatures and processed into pure copper at the adjacent Chuquicamata copper smelter (Fundición). – Chile – 1976

The huge copper smelter and industrial facilities at the Chuquicamata copper mine in the Chilean Atacama Desert. In the foreground, settling ponds (thickening tanks) and extensive processing areas can be seen, whilst in the background, smoking chimneys and the barren slopes of the desert mountains rise up. Chuquicamata (often called ‘Chuqui’) belongs to the Chilean state-owned mining company Codelco and has shaped global copper production for over a century. – Chile – 1976

An indigenous woman from the region around San Pedro de Atacama in northern Chile. She is wearing the wide-brimmed straw hat (sombrero de paja) typical of the Andean region, which serves as essential protection from the sun in the Atacama Desert – the driest place on earth. Her deep wrinkles and dark complexion reflect the extremely harsh climate, the intense sunlight and the harsh aridity of the Chilean highlands. – Chile – 1976

Cactus spines used as knitting needles. Atacama Desert, Chile. - Book: Picture 138 - Chile - 1976

The photograph shows a vast, arid plain with sparse desert vegetation and a barren mountain range in the background, across which a freight train is travelling in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. – South of Copiapó – Chile – 1975

With a population of three million (1977), Santiago de Chile is one of the five largest cities in South America. It lies at the foot of the Andes and is traversed by the River Mapocho. Founded in 1541 by Pedro de Valdivia on the Cerro de Santa Lucía, the city initially spread out around this hill. The centre remains the Plaza de Armas (above), where the cathedral – which has been destroyed several times – the bishop’s palace, the post office and arcades lined with shops are situated. Although the Spanish colonial grid layout still predominates, only a few old buildings have survived due to various major fires and earthquakes. More than half of the country’s economic activity is concentrated in and around Santiago; with its universities and technical college, its significance extends far beyond Chile. - Book: Picture 163 - Chile - 1976

The vast, green farmlands of Chile’s Central Valley, lined with the characteristic rows of poplars (álamos) and pasture fences, provide the perfect backdrop for the 3,242-metre-high Longaví volcano. – Chile – 1975

The photograph shows the snow-capped Volcán Osorno in the Los Lagos region of southern Chile, rising in the background behind a green pasture with grazing cows and trees. It is a striking stratovolcano with an almost perfectly symmetrical conical shape, which is often reminiscent of Mount Fuji in Japan. – Chile – 1975

The 2,661-metre-high volcanic cone of Osorno rises above the clear waters of Lake Llanquihue in ‘Chilean Switzerland’. In terms of its shape and location, this most beautiful of the Andean volcanoes is reminiscent of Mount Fuji. Ancient lava flows have separated Lake Llanquihue from Lake Todos los Santos, which is also known as Lake Esmeralda due to its emerald-green colour. - Book: Picture 199 - Chile - 1975

The Villarrica volcano is Chile’s most active and dangerous volcano. It is situated in the southern part of the country, around 750 kilometres south of Santiago de Chile. It is a classic stratovolcano with a characteristic, almost perfectly symmetrical conical shape and stands 2,847 metres high. It is one of only about eight volcanoes worldwide that harbour an open, permanently active lava lake within its crater. Despite its activity, around 40 square kilometres of the mountain’s summit are covered by glaciers and perpetual snow. – Chile – 1975

The Villarrica is a 2,847 m high active volcano in Chile, which lies on the border of the Araucanía and Los Ríos regions. To the north of the volcano are the town of Pucón and Lake Villarrica. - 1973

An Araucanian woman wearing the characteristic silver jewellery from the Temuco region, Cautín Province, Chile. Following the conquest of the Chilean territories by Pedro de Valdivia around 1550, the warlike Araucanians had led all uprisings against foreign rule, and under their leader Lautaro, the Indigenous armies even marched on the capital after liberating the southern territories. The attack was repelled, but the heartland of the Araucanians remained de facto independent until around 1800. - Book: Picture 194 - Chile - 1973

An Araucanian woman wearing the characteristic silver headdress whilst weaving. Temuco region, Cautín Province, Chile. - Book: Picture 140 - Chile - 1973

From the Argentine city of Salta, an old mule track – now a poorly maintained track – leads over the Huaitiquina Pass to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. In the past, herds of cattle were driven over this pass to supply the Chilean port city of Antofagasta with Argentine beef. When the dreaded Viento Blanco – the ‘white wind’ – blows, the plateau, situated at an altitude of 5,000 metres, is covered within a few hours by a metre-thick blanket of snow, and it was not uncommon for people and animals to perish in such ‘blizzards’. This is evidenced by the sun-bleached cattle skeletons in this desolate wasteland with its salt lakes, dominated by the towering cone of the Lascar volcano. - Book: Picture 157 - Argentina - 1975

A historic photograph! It shows a historic train in the barren high desert of the Argentine Puna in the province of Jujuy. This narrow-gauge line once ran through the spectacular Quebrada de Humahuaca, up onto the plateau and on to the Bolivian border at La Quiaca. The tracks around the high-altitude station of Tres Cruces lie at an altitude of over 3,600 metres and are largely a historical relic of the former link between Argentina and Bolivia. – Argentina – 1973

Landscape near Tres Cruces in the northwest of the Jujuy Province. - 1973

The photograph shows the impressive Cuesta de Lipán in the province of Jujuy in north-western Argentina, on the road from Purmamarca up to the Salinas Grandes. The barren, spectacular high-mountain landscape is characterised by hairpin bends, eroded mountain ranges and distinctive candelabra cacti (cardones) lining the roadside. – Argentina – 1975

The archaeological site of Santa Rosa de Tastil in the province of Salta, Argentina, features the well-preserved, pre-Inca stone foundations of one of the country’s largest pre-Hispanic settlements. The complex consists of compact stone houses without windows and narrow alleys. The ruins cover 17 hectares in the Quebrada del Toro gorge at an altitude of around 3,200 metres and form part of the Qhapaq Ñan (Inca road system), which is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The settlement is thought to have been inhabited between the 14th and 15th centuries, prior to the full-scale Inca expansion, and could have accommodated up to 3,000 inhabitants. – Argentina – 1975

The flowering tip of a large columnar cactus, native to the high Andes of Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. – Argentina – 1975

A striking eroded landscape with the moon along the Quebrada de Humahuaca in the region between Purmamarca and Tilcara in the province of Jujuy in north-western Argentina. These gullies, known as cárcavas (badlands), form in arid climates when infrequent but heavy rainfall deeply cuts into the unprotected, soft sedimentary layers. – Argentina – 1973

Aconcagua, situated in the Argentine Andes in the province of Mendoza, is the highest mountain on the American continent at 6,961 metres. The mountain is a popular destination for mountaineers from all over the world; it was first climbed in 1897 by Matthias Zurbriggen. – Argentina – 1975

Aconcagua, the highest mountain on the American double continent, is not among the most impressive mountain formations in South America, despite its height of 6,959 metres. It is not a volcano and therefore lacks the elegant curves of its slopes. Extreme dryness and strong winds prevent the formation of an ice cap on the summit, though small slope glaciers flow down from five cirques. The mountain, situated in the Argentine-Chilean border region of the High Cordillera, was first climbed in 1897 by the Swiss mountaineer M. Zurbriggen. - Book: Picture 201 - Argentina - 1975

The Andes Cordillera is the backbone of the South American continent, forming at certain points an impassable barrier. It establishes the natural border between the eastern, low-lying areas and the Pacific coastline, which extends westwards for thousands of kilometres. The Aconcagua (approx. 7,000 metres), dear to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, is the highest peak in the Andes mountain range. It rises majestically between Argentina and Chile. It is usually covered with clouds. Its ascent has tempted many andinists - the name given to mountaineers. However, it presents serious dangers. - 1973

The photograph shows the Argentine side of the famous ‘Los Caracoles’ mountain pass at the Paso Internacional Los Libertadores in the Andes, on the border between Chile and Argentina. The winding mountain pass snakes through the barren high-mountain landscape of the Andes and leads up to the old border tunnel and the statue of Christ, Cristo Redentor de los Andes, at an altitude of over 3,800 metres. – Argentina – 1975

A view of Lake Nahuel Huapi in the Patagonian region of Argentina, surrounded by dense forest and snow-capped Andean peaks in the background. The landscape is situated within Nahuel Huapi National Park, near the towns of San Carlos de Bariloche and Villa La Angostura. Typical of this region are the lush forests of southern beech (coihues) and myrtle trees (arrayanes). The lake is of glacial-tectonic origin and is fed by the surrounding glaciers and mountains. – Argentina – 1975

Lake Nahuel Huapi (Araucanian for ‘Lake of Tiger Island’), which is comparable in size (529 km²) to Lake Constance, is a vast glacial trough into which several glacial streams converged. This explains its intricate network of fjord-like branches. It is known as the ‘Lake Lucerne’ of Argentina, whilst the surrounding mountain landscape, including the skiing paradise at Cerro Catedral (2,388 m), is referred to as the ‘Argentine Switzerland’. - Book: Picture 196 - Argentina - 1973

62 kilometres away from San Carlos de Bariloche, on the banks of the Limay River, lies Valle Encantado, a place with a special magic. Surrounded by mountains and rock formations that, letting the imagination run wild, come to life in the eyes of the beholder. - Neuquén Province - 1973

The famous panoramic road, the ‘Ruta de los Siete Lagos’ (Road of the Seven Lakes), in the south-west of Neuquén Province connects the two holiday resorts of Villa La Angostura and San Martín de los Andes. It winds its way through the unspoilt natural landscape of the Nahuel Huapi and Lanín National Parks. Along this route, there are many sections featuring traditional wooden fences (‘tranqueras’ or ‘cercos de varas’) that mark the boundaries of private pastures and historic estancias, whilst the mighty peaks of the Andes tower in the background. – Argentina – 1975

View from the 1,314-metre-high Paso Puyehue on the Argentine-Chilean border towards the isolated, towering peak of Pico Pantojo. - Book: Picture 197 - Argentina - 1975

Alongside the various species of southern beech (Nothofagus), the mighty araucaria trees (Araucaria imbricata) make up a significant proportion of the Southern Cordillera’s forests. The oil-rich seeds of these conifers once formed an essential part of the subsistence diet of the Pehuénche, who practised a foraging economy. Their name means ‘people of the araucaria forests’ (pehuén = the araucaria). - Book: Picture 198 - Argentina - 1975

The photograph shows the majestic Lanín volcano (3,776 m), a stratovolcano in the Andes on the border between Argentina and Chile. The snow-capped volcano rises from the Andean Cordillera and lies within the Lanín National Park (Argentina) and the Villarrica National Park (Chile). In the foreground and on the slopes, one can see the typical forest of Chilean araucarias (also known as pehuén) and sub-Antarctic grass and shrub vegetation. – Argentina – 1975

The Chilean araucaria (Araucaria araucana), also known as the Andean fir or monkey tree, in its natural South American Andean or volcanic landscape. These distinctive conifers have a straight, columnar trunk and an umbrella-shaped crown with stiff, scaly branches. They often grow on barren, volcanic soils in the mountains of Chile and Argentina and are extremely hardy. The species is regarded as a living fossil and is protected due to habitat loss and past deforestation. – Lanín National Park – Argentina – 1975

Representations of a younger, more developed culture depict meanders, either painted or carved, forming intricate overall patterns. In certain cases, they are even extremely complex labyrinths. They too are probably an expression of religious ideas, but the exact meaning of all these symbols cannot be determined. - This rock painting is located near San Martín de los Andes. - 1975

South of Sarmiento, one comes across a petrified forest known as “Bosque José Ormachea”. It consists of araucaria trunks that are around 70 million years old. Around it stretches the desert, dominated by washed-out, strangely coloured hills. - Province of Chubut - 1973

Argentina's soil holds real treasures, but has not yet been fully explored. Oil, however, has been extracted for years, in considerable quantities in the area of Comodoro Rivadavia province of Chubut on the southern coastal strip. If you follow the road from Buenos Aires to the southern tip, you will notice strange machines in the pampas, reminiscent of large grasshoppers, which are constantly pumping oil out of the earth's interior. Drilling rigs also rise up from the ocean. Comodoro Rivadavia is home to thousands of engineers, workers and employees who earn their living directly or indirectly from the oil deposits. The “black gold” is not refined in the city itself, but in La Plata, south of Buenos Aires. Comodoro Rivadavia's oil production covers part of the country's needs. Further drilling is being done in other provinces, especially in Mendoza and San Juan. - 1973

‘La Cueva de las Manos’ is a hard-to-reach rock shelter above the Río Pinturas, between Bajo Caracoles and Perito Moreno in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz. The significance of the hands is unclear, but they are certainly of a magical nature. The paintings belong to the Toldense culture, which is estimated to date back to around 8000 BC. They are now a World Heritage Site. - Book: Picture 42 - Argentina - 1973

Fitz Roy (3375 m), one of the most beautiful Argentinean Andean peaks, rises in the Los Glaciares National Park (Santa Cruz province). Because of the harsh weather that prevails in the mountains, it is dangerous to climb. - 1973

Mount Fitz Roy (3,375 m) was named in honour of the captain of the Beagle. It was under his command in 1834, following a sixteen-day boat journey on the Río Santa Cruz – in which Charles Darwin also took part – that this peak was first sighted. Towering some 1,600 metres above the surrounding plateau, it resembles a cluster of pillars and spires, whose vertical walls are separated by gorges a thousand metres deep. The Fitz Roy is rightly regarded as the most beautiful peak in the Andes. - Book: Picture 200 - Argentina - 1973

On the Estancia Santa Margarita. In the background the Fitz Roy massif. - Santa Cruz Province - 1973

A gaucho is herding a flock of horses. He works for the Estancia Las Toscas, a historic rural farm in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz. Such remote estancias in the Patagonian steppe were established in the early 20th century for sheep and cattle farming. – Argentina – 1973

Disused wheels on the edge of the Río La Leona - in the background Cerro Fortalezza 722m - Calafate Region - Santa Cruz Province - 1973

The western part of Patagonia is formed by the Andean Cordillera, which in certain sections presents an insurmountable barrier. The winds blow in from the Pacific in an almost constant direction. The clouds they carry gather over the high mountain peaks and bring heavy rainfall. This explains why, despite the relatively low altitude, glaciers – some of which are of immense proportions – stretch across the eastern flank of the Andes. In Los Glaciares National Park (Santa Cruz Province) lies Lago Argentino, the ‘Silver Lake’, one of the most beautiful lakes in this southern region. The town of Calafate on its southern shore is attracting ever more tourists. Several glaciers can be seen in the immediate vicinity. One is called Uppsala and is 40 kilometres long. Pictured here is the equally famous Perito Moreno. – Argentina – 1973

As the eastern tongue of the great Patagonian ice field, the 17-kilometre-long Moreno Glacier stretches down to the southern arm of Lago Argentino, where it ends in a 70-metre-high ice wall. Its scientific discoverer, R. Hauthal, had named it the ‘Bismarck Glacier’ in 1899; it was given its current name in honour of the Argentine naturalist F. P. Moreno. Even in Hauthal’s day, clear signs of irregular advances were evident, whilst the other Southern Andes glaciers were already retreating. Since then, the Canal de los Témpanos has been completely blocked on several occasions, leading to a build-up of water in the southern part of the lake and catastrophic flooding, prompting attempts – in vain – to blast the ice wall with bombs. It was only after a transverse crevasse had formed in the 2 to 2.5-kilometre-wide glacier tongue that the floodwaters drained away. Today, the ‘Canal de los Témpanos’ is open again. - Book: Picture 205 - Argentina - 1973

The western part of Patagonia is formed by the Andes Cordillera, which represents an insurmountable barrier in some sections. The winds blow from the Pacific in an almost unchanging direction. The clouds they bring accumulate above the high mountain peaks and cause abundant precipitation. This explains why, despite their low altitude, glaciers of sometimes enormous dimensions extend along the eastern flank of the Andes. In the Los Glaciares National Park (Santa Cruz Province) lies the Argentino, the Silver Lake, one of the most beautiful lakes in this southern region. The town of Calafate on its southern shore is visited by more and more tourists. Several glaciers can be seen nearby. One is called Uppsala and is 40 kilometres long. An equally famous one is called Perito Moreno. Navigation on the Silver Lake is dangerous, if only because of the wind and the storms that are frequent in the Cordillera. Nature, preserved in its authenticity, attracts many scientists who can devote themselves to their studies here. - 1973

As the eastern tongue of the great Patagonian ice field, the 17-kilometre-long Moreno Glacier stretches down to the southern arm of Lago Argentino, where it ends in a 70-metre-high ice wall. Its scientific discoverer, R. Hauthal, had named it the ‘Bismarck Glacier’ in 1899; it was given its current name in honour of the Argentine naturalist F. P. Moreno. Even in Hauthal’s day, clear signs of irregular advances were evident, whilst the other Southern Andes glaciers were already retreating. Since then, the Canal de los Témpanos has been completely blocked on several occasions, leading to a build-up of water in the southern part of the lake and catastrophic flooding, prompting attempts – in vain – to blast the ice wall with bombs. It was only after a transverse crevasse had formed in the 2 to 2.5-kilometre-wide glacier tongue that the floodwaters drained away. Today, the ‘Canal de los Témpanos’ is open again. - Book: Picture 204 - Argentina - 1973

The western part of Patagonia is formed by the Andes Cordillera, which represents an insurmountable barrier in some sections. The winds blow from the Pacific in an almost unchanging direction. The clouds they bring accumulate above the high mountain peaks and cause abundant precipitation. This explains why, despite their low altitude, glaciers of sometimes enormous dimensions extend along the eastern flank of the Andes. In the Los Glaciares National Park (Santa Cruz Province) lies the Argentino, the Silver Lake, one of the most beautiful lakes in this southern region. The town of Calafate on its southern shore is visited by more and more tourists. Several glaciers can be seen nearby. One is called Uppsala and is 40 kilometres long. An equally famous one is called Perito Moreno. Navigation on the Silver Lake is dangerous, if only because of the wind and the storms that are frequent in the Cordillera. Nature, preserved in its authenticity, attracts many scientists who can devote themselves to their studies here. - 1973

As the eastern tongue of the great Patagonian ice field, the 17-kilometre-long Moreno Glacier stretches down to the southern arm of Lago Argentino, where it ends in a 70-metre-high ice wall. Its scientific discoverer, R. Hauthal, had named it the ‘Bismarck Glacier’ in 1899; it was given its current name in honour of the Argentine naturalist F. P. Moreno. Even in Hauthal’s day, clear signs of irregular advances were evident, whilst the other Southern Andes glaciers were already retreating. Since then, the Canal de los Témpanos has been completely blocked on several occasions, leading to a build-up of water in the southern part of the lake and catastrophic flooding, prompting attempts – in vain – to blast the ice wall with bombs. It was only after a transverse crevasse had formed in the 2 to 2.5-kilometre-wide glacier tongue that the floodwaters drained away. Today, the ‘Canal de los Témpanos’ is open again. - Book: Picture 203 - Argentina - 1973

The Perito Moreno Glacier (Spanish: Glaciar Perito Moreno) is one of the best-known and most spectacular glaciers on Earth. It is situated in Los Glaciares National Park in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz, in south-western Patagonia. The glacier stretches for around 30 kilometres and is 5 kilometres wide. The impressive ice front rises, on average, 55 to 75 metres above the surface of Lago Argentino. Underwater, the ice extends a further 100 metres or so into the depths. Unlike most glaciers worldwide, which are shrinking due to global warming, the Perito Moreno Glacier is in a relatively stable equilibrium. It advances by up to 2 metres every day. As a result of this continuous movement, chunks of ice as tall as houses regularly break off from the front. This phenomenon is accompanied by a thunderous crash and a deep rumble that can be heard for kilometres. As it advances, the glacier periodically blocks a side arm of Lago Argentino (Brazo Rico). The dammed-up water builds up enormous pressure until the barrier finally collapses in a spectacular process lasting several days. – Argentina – 1973

As the eastern tongue of the great Patagonian ice field, the 17-kilometre-long Moreno Glacier stretches down to the southern arm of Lago Argentino, where it ends in a 70-metre-high ice wall. Its scientific discoverer, R. Hauthal, had named it the ‘Bismarck Glacier’ in 1899; it was given its current name in honour of the Argentine naturalist F. P. Moreno. Even in Hauthal’s day, clear signs of irregular advances were evident, whilst the other Southern Andes glaciers were already retreating. Since then, the Canal de los Témpanos has been completely blocked on several occasions, leading to a build-up of water in the southern part of the lake and catastrophic flooding, prompting attempts – in vain – to blast the ice wall with bombs. It was only after a transverse crevasse had formed in the 2 to 2.5-kilometre-wide glacier tongue that the floodwaters drained away. Today, the ‘Canal de los Témpanos’ is open again. - Book: Picture 202 - Argentina - 1973

Steam locomotive with coal trailer in Río Turbio - Province of Santa Cruz - 1973

Spring in Patagonia! A vast meadow dotted with white wildflowers. In the background rise the snow-capped peaks and striking granite cliffs of the Cuernos del Paine in Torres del Paine National Park. – Chile – 1975

Laguna Amarga (meaning ‘Bitter Lagoon’ in English), surrounded by the typical Patagonian steppe landscape with reddish ground cover and low shrubs in the foreground. The name derives from the bitter taste of the water. As it is a landlocked body of water, the water evaporates continuously. As a result, the dissolved salts and minerals from the subsoil become extremely concentrated, giving the water a very high pH value. The lake is one of the most famous vantage points in Torres del Paine National Park, as on clear, windless days the three famous granite spires are perfectly reflected on the water’s surface. – Chile – 1975

The massive granodiorite batholith of the Southern Andes is dominated in the Chilean province of Magallanes by the Cordillera del Paine (2,460 m), which extends into Argentine territory. The towering rock spires, the Torres del Paine, consist of remnants of Cretaceous overlying strata that once covered the intrusive body that had risen from the depths. Contact metamorphism has greatly hardened the rock, making it particularly resistant to erosion. In the foreground is Laguna Amarga. The photograph was taken during the southern summer, on 10 January at 11 pm. - Book: Picture 5 - Argentina - 1975

The area surrounding the magnificent massifs, pinnacles and towers of the Cordillera del Paine has been a protected nature reserve for some time. The national park is one of the last refuges for guanacos still living in the wild. - Book: Picture 208 - Argentina - 1975

The area surrounding the magnificent massifs, pinnacles and towers of the Cordillera del Paine has been a protected nature reserve for some time. The small mountain lakes in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, such as Lago Nordenskjöld, owe their formation to the erosive action of Ice Age glaciers. - Book: Picture 207 - Argentina - 1975

A vast steppe with low vegetation (such as matahambre shrubs) tinged with autumnal red in the foreground, and the striking Cordillera del Paine mountain range with its snow-capped peaks in the background. We are in the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. The turquoise lake is Lago Nordenskjöld, named after the Swedish geologist and polar explorer Otto Nordenskjöld, who conducted scientific research in the region at the end of the 19th century. – Chile – 1975

In southern Patagonia, and particularly in Tierra del Fuego and southern Chile, the climate and vegetation allow only sheep farming. The flocks graze scattered across thousands of hectares of stony wasteland. They are rounded up for just three occasions: disinfection baths, shearing and the slaughterhouse. But then the ovejeros, the shepherd gauchos, are often on the move for days on end with their powerful dogs, keeping in contact with one another via bonfires and smoke signals. – Torres del Paine National Park – Chile – 1975

A typical landscape of the Tierra del Fuego region near Ushuaia in Argentina, set amongst the rugged, unspoilt peat and grassland terrain characteristic of the valleys outside Ushuaia. – Argentina – 1973

The town of Ushuaia, situated in a sheltered bay on the northern shore of the Beagle Channel, grew out of a Protestant mission station in 1868. In 1884, when it had a population of just under 150, it became the capital of the Argentine territory of Tierra del Fuego; two years later, it became a penal colony. The prisoners were put to work in forestry, and for a long time timber shipping formed the economic basis of the settlement. Since the Second World War, Ushuaia – which now has a population of around 4,000 – has served as a base for Argentina’s Antarctic expeditions. One- and two-storey wooden houses still characterise the town as an unfinished pioneer settlement. In 1953, Ushuaia had to cede the title of ‘the southernmost city in the world’ to the Chilean military base of Puerto Williams on Navarino Island. - Book: Picture 209 - Argentina - 1973

The photograph shows a historic panoramic view (1973) of the Argentine city of Ushuaia, the capital of the province of Tierra del Fuego (Fireland). The town is picturesquely situated on a sheltered bay on the northern shore of the Beagle Channel. The image captures the town’s former, still predominantly rural character, with simple wooden houses and tin roofs. On the right-hand edge of the picture, near the coast, the historic Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Merced (the old parish church) stands out with its striking tower. – Argentina – 1973

A view of the Argentine city of Ushuaia on the island of Tierra del Fuego, framed by the coastline of the Beagle Channel and the striking, snow-capped mountain range, with the distinctive Monte Olivia in the background. The port of Ushuaia is a major hub for trade and fishing, as well as a starting point for Antarctic expedition cruises. – Argentina – 1973

Sheep are the wealth of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. The English missionary Th. Bridges brought the first small breeding flock from the Falkland Islands to his mission station in Ushuaia on the Beagle Channel in 1871. Not far from this town, on the natural channel that divides southern Tierra del Fuego, a flock of recently shorn sheep awaits shipment. - Book: Picture 206 - Argentina - 1973

Sheep farming in Ushuaia and on Tierra del Fuego has a long and dramatic history, which has had a lasting impact on the character of this extreme region in the south of Argentina and Chile. Large-scale sheep farming began at the end of the 19th century. As the rugged steppe was available in abundance, huge numbers of sheep were imported. Wool and meat were exported directly from the coast to Europe on large cargo ships – similar to the one shown in the photograph. To ensure the success of the vast farms (estancias), European settlers encroached upon the hunting grounds of the indigenous peoples (such as the Selk’nam and Yámana). As the indigenous people hunted sheep as ‘lame guanacos’, this led to bloody conflicts and ultimately to the almost complete extermination of the indigenous population. – Today, sheep farming in this region is no longer profitable for various reasons. – Argentina – 1973

Angela Loij, born between 1896 and 1898, died in 1975 in Río Grande in Argentine Tierra del Fuego as the last surviving member of the Ona, one of the three tribes of Tierra del Fuego who, until the beginning of the last century, lived at a Stone Age cultural level and subsisted on hunting, fishing and gathering wild fruits. To protect themselves from the cold, they smeared their bodies with a thick layer of fat. They usually went naked or wore only roughly cut animal skins. - Book: Picture 11 - Argentina - 1973

The Tierra del Fuego National Park is the southernmost national park on Earth. Winter storms have washed up bleached driftwood on the shores of the lakes. The gentle slopes of the peaks towering above them – such as Montaña El Cóndor here – with their forests and heathland, represent a slice of Tierra del Fuego’s unspoilt natural landscape, which has already been largely altered by sheep farmers in other parts of this southernmost region of Argentina. - Book: Picture 211 - Argentina - 1973

The Parque Nacional de Tierra del Fuego is the southernmost national park on Earth. Although the lakes situated in complete isolation, such as Lago Roca – on whose shores winter storms have washed up bleached driftwood – lack the magnificent mountainous backdrop of the Southern Andes lakes, with their forests and heathland they represent a slice of Tierra del Fuego’s unspoilt natural landscape. - Book: Picture 210 - Argentina - 1973

Set against the backdrop of the Darwin Range in Chilean Tierra del Fuego, which rises to a height of 2,300 metres, a large valley glacier flows into the Admiralty Fjord. Two central moraines, formed by the confluence of tributary glaciers, appear as dark stripes. Icebergs drift from the pack ice field in front of the calving glacier tongue into the fjord, which flows into the Strait of Magellan. - Book: Picture 10 - Argentina - 1975

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