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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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Céramique Chavin représentant une chauve-souris (collection W. Pelloni, Lima).

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Bas-relief en boue séchée (adobe) de la huaca Esmeralda, près de la ville de Trujillo.

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Le vase à étrier, créé par les artisans Chavin, fut employé jusqu'à l'arrivée des Espagnols en Amérique du Sud. Le récipient est orné d'une gravure qui représente un condor très schématisé (collection W. Pelloni, Lima).

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La civilisation Nazca, qui s'est développée au début de notre ère dans le sud du Pérou, a livré aux archéologues de très nombreuses poteries, d'une qualité exceptionnelle et couvertes de dessins polychromes (collection W. Pelloni, Lima).

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On doit aux potiers Mochica une multitude de vases portraits en terre cuite d'un réalisme saisissant (collection W. Pelloni, Lima).

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Les tisserands Paracas, qui vivaient sur la côte sud du Pérou il y a plus de 2000 ans, ont confectionné de remarquables étoffes couvertes de dessins symboliques (Museo antropológico, Lima).

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Les peuples précolombiens ont travaillé l'or qui avait pour eux une valeur symbolique. Ils en ont tiré des objets rituels parmi lesquels figurent des couteaux sacrificiels appelés tumi. Collection privée

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Parmi les dessins du désert de Nazca on distingue une immense araignée. La signification de ces images fantastiques a été l'objet de travaux contradictoires. Pour quelques archéologues, ce serait des signes en relation avec l’astronomie ; pour d'autres il s'agirait de véritables lieux de culte.

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Le désert de la côte sud montre de gigantesques dessins tracés dans le sable et attribués aux Nazca. L'un d'entre eux représente un condor de plusieurs dizaines de mètres de longueur. Ces figures ont été obtenues en enlevant la terre brune, riche en oxyde de fer, qui recouvre le fond sablonneux et jaunâtre, et en entassant cette dernière autour des zones ainsi dégagées.

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Sur le flanc de la colline de sable qui domine la baie de Paracas on remarque une étrange composition que les archéologues ont baptisée du nom de «candélabre».

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Peintures rupestres de Mazo Cruz, à 4500 mètres (département de Puno, Pérou). Quel Champollion déchiffrera les fresques pariétales des cavernes sacrées de Kelkatani, la «pierre écrite» entre 7000 et 10.000 ans? Ces danses cynégétiques de chorégraphes archaïques, auréolés de plumes, furent peintes à l'ocre rouge sur un kran granitique large de 26 mètres et haut de 6, par le chaman d'une mystérieuse civilisation d'altitude.

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Sorte de «Jérusalem» des Andes, le célèbre site archéologique de Chavin de Huantar s'élève à 3 200 mètres dans la Cordillera Blanca. D'insolites stèles gravées y ont été mises au jour. Celle-ci est ornée d'un grand prêtre-dieu d'un culte magico-religieux qui influença tout l'ancien Pérou environ deux mille ans av. J.C. Portant un sceptre, coiffés et ceinturés de serpents, les étranges personnages de Chavin sont souvent ailés. Crocs et griffes de félins ou serres de rapace sont caractéristiques du style. (Hauteur de la stèle, 78 centimètres; largeur, 70 centimètres.)

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Paracas-Necrópolis aux premiers siècles de notre ère. L'incomparable art textile des tisseuses-brodeuses des déserts du Sud-Pérou illustre à profusion le culte obsédant des têtes-trophées et réduites, portées en plastron, en franges et en pendeloques. (Museo nacional de Antropologia y Arqueologia, Lima, Pérou.)

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Taillée à vif dans le roc sur un kilomètre de long, la «grecque» du canal pré-inca de Cumbe Mayo fut conçue de façon à réduire la vitesse du courant. Tunnels, pictographies symboliques, sièges et tables à sacrifices accompagnent le trajet de cet ingénieux ouvrage hydraulique qui a la particularité de dévier, à 3.700 mètres d'altitude, les eaux du versant Pacifique vers la sierra de Cajamarca.

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Les tombeaux pillés des Nazcas (IIIe - VIIIe siècle) du Pérou méridional ont livré des milliers de huacas polychromes, figuratifs ou abstraits, qui forment une véritable «encyclopédie par l'image». Par la finesse de la pâte, la perfection des formes et la stylisation poussée du dessin, la céramique nazca relève d'un art inimitable qui rend hommage aux défunts et aux dieux. (Collection privée, Lima, Pérou.)

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Exhumés des sables du Pérou septentrional, plus de 100.000 huacas à anse-étrier décrivent de façon réaliste et vivante la vie quotidienne des Mochicas d'il y a deux mille ans. Comme en témoigne ce guerrier agenouillé, coiffé d'un casque matelassé de coton et décoré de spirales, avec de gros rouleaux d'or aux oreilles et un bouclier au bras. (Collection privée, Lima, Pérou.)

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Succédant aux Mochicas, l'opulent royaume des Chimus connut il y a une dizaine de siècles des fastes éblouissants. De merveilleux joyaux, tel ce masque d'or funéraire (22 carats), aux yeux percés de 14 pendeloques d'émeraudes, furent retrouvés dans les ruines des pyramides colossales en briques de pisé. (Museo de Oro del Perù, Miguel Mujica Gallo, Lima.)

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"Sphynx" solaire du haut-plateau bolivien, le légendaire dieu créateur Kon Tiki Viracocha, au masque de Puma auréolé, garde les secrets d'un monde disparu du haut de la fameuse Porte du Soleil de Tiahuanaco. Haute de près de 3 mètres et large de 4 mètres, elle est découpée dans un seul bloc d'andésite, qui pèse plus de 10 tonnes!

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Lors de son apogée (VIIIe - XIIe siècles), la haute culture de Tiahuanaco déferla tout au long de la côte péruvienne. L'iconographie de ce tissu dit tiahuanacoïde (115 x 58 centimètres) en laine et coton, trouvé sur le site de Campanario (Huarmey) et la frange au signe scalaire, rappellent les étranges petits hommes allis au nez en bec de condor, du linteau de la Porte du Soleil. (Museo Yoshitaro Amano, Lima, Pérou.)

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Précieuse parure de momie d'un tombeau antique de Larache, au nord du Chili, datée d'environ 1.000 av. J.-C. par le Père Le Paige. Deux colliers, l'un en rondelles de turquoises, l'autre en petits tubes de lapis-lazuli, entourent une plaque pectorale en or, une grosse turquoise et quatre clochettes d'or, entre deux «plumes» d'or ajourées. (Museo de San Pedro de Atacama, Chili.)

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C'est par la gueule ouverte sur des crocs aigus que s'échappe la fumée des offrandes (résine ou suif de lama brûlés) de cette lampe à encens en céramique, en forme de puma (Tiahuanaco, 667 ap.J.C.). (Haute 20 cm - Museo del Instituto nacional de Arqueologia, La Paz, Bolivie.)

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En forme de fausse cloche, ce très beau kero à libations en céramique nous dévoile le faciès autoritaire d'un Pakaje de la noble caste solaire des hommes-condor de Tiahuanaco. Hauteur: 16 centimètres. (Museo del Instituto Nacional de Arqueología, La Paz, Bolivie.)

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Kero de la 4e époque de Tiahuanaco (667-1000 apr. J.-C.), est frappé d'un mascaron de ofrenda, masque de tête ornemental d'offrande en relief. H: 13,5cm. (Museo del Instituto Nacional de Archeologia, La Paz, Bolivie)

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Vu du templete semi-souterrain de Tiahuanaco, l'escalier monumental aux six marches lithiques et la grande portada d'entrée du Kalasasaya restaurée. On aperçoit au centre la stèle «Ponce» du sanctuaire du Soleil.

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Le monolithe Ponce, l'un des dieux pétrifiés «géants» et «pleureurs» de la «Mecque» bolivienne, mesure 3 mètres de hauteur. Il est entièrement gravé de glyphes géométriques indéchiffrables. Trois larmes carrées ruissellent de ses yeux d'où tombe, sur le côté, une «aile» à tête stylisée de poisson. Des anneaux entourent ses chevilles.

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Très fréquentes sur les cimes de l'altiplano du Collao qui cerne le lac Titicaca, de bizarres chulipas monolithiques logeaient les chefs de haut rang momifiés, d'une mystérieuse race «d'avant que le soleil apparaisse». Haute de 12 mètres, la tour funéraire tronquée de Cutimbo, près de Puno, s'élargit d'une corniche supérieure. Elle est sculptée de pumas en relief à la base.

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Puma Puncu, l'un des plus vastes ensembles archéologiques de Tiahuanaco, n'est plus que ruines disloquées et chaotiques. Quel culte ésotérique réunissait des milliers de pèlerins dans l'immense enceinte quadrangulaire? Des clés de bronze fondu dans des mortaises assemblaient les énormes dalles qui gisent pêle-mêle, longues de 8 mètres, larges de 5 mètres, épaisses de 2 mètres.

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Idole de pierre de l'île du Soleil (lac Titicaca). Hauteur: 45 centimètres. Ce bossu de l'époque Tiahuanaco (1000-1100 ap.J.-C.) tient un pututo, gros coquillage de mer (Strombus galeatus), utilisé comme trompette par tous les aborigènes des Amériques jusqu'aux Incas et encore de nos jours. (Museo del Instituto nacional de Arqueologia, La Paz, Bolivie.)

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Entre Cuzco et Abancay, à 3500 mètres d'altitude, surgit un fascinant monolithe! Sculptés dans un dôme de lave haut de plus de 2 mètres, entre des «temples, des lagunes-réceptacles et des canaux, ressortent quelque deux cents figures allégoriques: morts allongés, pumas, serpents, vigognes, singes, lézards, crapauds, scorpions. Peut-être la «maquette» en pierre de Sayhuite était-elle liée à des sortilèges et à des rites de pluviomagie...

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Exhumés de tombeaux pré-inca et inca, ces très vieux instruments sont conservés au Museo Yoshitaro Amano de Lima, Pérou. Longue de 20,5 centimètres, une quena d'os blanc à quatre trous, ponctuée de petits cercles poinçonnés au centre, provient du site de Lauri-Chancay, sur la côte. Et de Chincha, plus au sud, l'autre quena en forme de bras prolongé d'une main et gravée d'un totem humain.

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Exhumés de tombeaux pré-inca et inca, ces très vieux instruments sont conservés au Museo Yoshitaro Amano de Lima, Pérou. Trouvée à Palpa, dans les sables des déserts, la zampoña (flûte de Pan américaine, 32 cm) est faite de bambous inégaux liés avec des cordelettes végétales. La petite zampoña on a trouvé à Lauri, Chancay.

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L'un des «trésors» les plus «hauts» du globe: celui découvert à 6.050 mètres d'altitude, au sommet du volcan Pili, dans les Andes du Chili. Un éventail de plumes rouges, des cordelettes tressées, une ceinture tissée, des fragments de tunique multicolore, des tupus (fibules) et un bracelet de cuivre oxydé, une idole d'argent, furent trouvés près du cratère éteint. Ces offrandes rappellent le culte des volcans d'où se disaient issues de vieilles ethnies, encore pratiqué au moment de la Conquête espagnole. (Museo de San Pedro de Atacama, Chili.)

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Offert en holocauste au dieu Soleil, comme calmement endormi d'hier, la tte entre les mains et prêt à s'éveiller, le petit prince inca du Cerro El Plomo, au Chili, devait avoir neuf ans. Lui aussi comblé d'offrandes d'or et d'argent, d'amulettes emplumées, coiffé de cent vingt-trois nattes, anesthésié de coca et de chicha, il garde miraculeusement depuis plus de cinq cents ans les couleurs de la vie. Porté en litière jusque sur la cime sacrée où le gel le surprit et le momifia, découvert en 1954, il dort aujourd'hui dans un... réfrigérateur au Museo de Santiago, Chili!

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Très réaliste, ce couple de jorobados en argent, haut de 6 centimètres, nouis rappelle que les bossus étaient au service personnel de l'Inca et de la Coya. (Museo e Instituto de Arqueologia de la Universidad nacional del Cuzco, Pérou.)

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Sous la longue coiffe rectangulaire des Acllas et fardée de cinabre, une «femme choisie » d'argent doré semble tendre les bras à l'Inca (23 centimètres de haut). (Museo de Oro del Perû, Lima.)

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A 11 kilomètres de Lima, au bord de la Carretera central, la route des Andes, s'élève l'élégant palais pré-inca (XIIe) de Puruchuco, le «Seigneur au casque emplumé» soumis par les Incas. Nous voyons ici son merveilleux poncho cérémoniel au dos couvert de plumes jaunes d'ara. Masquée et couronnée d'argent bruni, la noble momie portait un couvre-nuque dont les motifs stylisés illustrent un art plumaire de toute beauté. Par-devant, le poncho est entièrement constellé de petits cercles d'argent et bordé de plumes noires et bleu turquoise. (Museo de Puruchuco, Lima, Pérou.)

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Piquillacta: De curieuses figurines en turquoise ont été mises au jour dans ce grand centre pré-inca (Culture Huari 800-1200 ap. J.-C.) qu'occupèrent ensuite les empereurs du Cuzco. (Museo e Instituto de Arqueologia de la Universidad de Cuzco)

Between Cuzco and Abancay, at an altitude of 3,500 meters, emerges a fascinating monolith! Carved in a lava dome more than 2 meters high, between “temples”, lagoons-receptacles and canals, stand out some two hundred allegorical figures: lying dead, pumas, snakes, vicuñas, monkeys, lizards, toads and scorpions. Perhaps Sayhuite's stone “model” was linked to spells and rites of pluviomagic ... - 1969

"Las Ventanillas de Otuzco" is an archaeological site in the district of Baños del Inca, 8 km northwest of the city of Cajamarca. The individual windows are tombs from the pre-Inca period. - 1976

Rock paintings of Mazo Cruz, 4500 m above sea level (Puno department, Peru). Which Champollion will ever be able to interpret the 7000 to 10 000 year old wall frescoes of the "described stone" in the holy caves of Kelkatani? The dances of the hunters decorated with a wreath of feathers were painted with red ochre paint on a granite surface of 26 by 6 metres and bear witness to a mysterious highland civilisation. - 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 Chavín culture, which we know mainly through its stonemasonry, belongs to the developmental period of pre-Columbian Peru. - 1969

The Chavín religion is characterised by a cult in honour of the condor. The very schematic representation of this giant vulture is also found on stone slabs that decorate the temple of the Chavín site in the Cordillera. - 1969

The Lanzón of Chavín is a sacred monolith or wanka that belongs to the Chavín culture. It is carved in irregular granite, 4.54 m high and is located in its original location in a sector of an interior gallery of the Old Temple of Chavín. It is called the "Lanzón" because it has the shape of a giant spire whose ends are firmly embedded in the floor and ceiling of the gallery. It has three sides covered with engraved motifs representing a deity with human features mixed with those of animals. It is the largest of the sculptures or monoliths preserved from the Chavín culture. - 1969

Chavín Culture, Peru. Recurring motifs are the jaguar as in this picture or a mixture of predatory cat, snake and condor and warriors with predator teeth, condor claws and snake hair or hair with condor heads. This relief plate is located at the edge of a circular square between the old and the new temple. - 1976

On one of these blocks is carved the image of a mythical creature that today's archaeologists call "Medusa", but in reality it is the representation of the same mythical creature of the New Temple period that was carved on the " Lanzón " of the Old Temple. - 1976

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

The heads of nails (Cabezas clavas) are a series of sculptures representing heads of cats, snakes and birds, combined with human features. 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. - 1969

The heads of nails (Cabezas clavas) are a series of sculptures representing heads of cats, snakes and birds, combined with human features. They have been carved in sandstone of different textures, quartzite and granite. Unfortunately, of the 56 that were there, only one is still on site. The others have disappeared or are kept in museums. - 1969

The heads of nails (Cabezas clavas) are a series of sculptures representing heads of cats, snakes and birds, combined with human features. They have been carved in sandstone of different textures, quartzite and granite. Unfortunately, of the 56 that were there, only one is still on site. The others have disappeared or are kept in museums - 1969

During the excavations in Chavín, fragments of stone slabs with anthropomorphic figures were found, probably belonging to a roof cornice. - 1969

This stele shows a figure of a magical-religious cult, under whose influence the whole of ancient Peru was under around 1000 BC. The figure carries a sceptre; hair and belt are made of snakes. Most of these peculiar representations of Chavín also have wings; fangs, cat's claws or birds of prey claws are characteristic features. - 1969

During the excavations in Chavín, fragments of stone slabs with anthropomorphic figures were found, probably belonging to a roof cornice. - 1969

Chavín Culture ceramics with a bird - Private collection, Lima - 1969

Typical ceramics of the Chavín culture - Private collection, Lima - 1969

Ceramic Huaco of the Chavín Culture - Private collection - Lima - 1969

One of the few, if not the only fabric preserved from the Chavín culture: painted cotton and again the familiar motifs of fangs, feather snakes and condor claws. - Museo Amano, Lima, 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

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 of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture with human figures carrying fans and ceremonial staffs in their hands. Private collection. - 1969

Detail of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture with a stylised reptile. The whole cloth has 9 figures and measures 2.50m x 1.18m. Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima - 1977

Detail of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture with four warriors with masks. In one hand they are holding a trophy head, in the other apparently a musical instrument. Four trophy heads hang from the trousers. Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima - 1977

Detail of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture. On the dress are trophy heads. Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima - 1969

Detail of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture with stylised birds. Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima - 1969

Detail at the edge of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture. Each person carries two trophy heads. Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima - 1977

Detail of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture with a stylised person carrying wings. Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima - 1969

Detail of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture with a stylised cat (11 cm). Museo de la Universidad Nacional de San Agustín - Arequipa - 1976

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

Detail eines Federkleides - Chimú-Kultur - Amano-Museum - Lima - 1976

Gold death mask - Chimú culture - width 32 cm - Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima - 1977

Coastal ceramics influenced by the Chimú culture - Height 16 cm - Museo Regional de Ancash - Huaraz - 1976

Black, shiny ceramics of the Chimú-Inca culture - height 29 cm - Museo Arqueológico Brünning - Lambayeque - 1976

Chimú-Lambayeque Culture - XII. Century - Diameter: 10 cm - Weight 25 g - Burial figure dressed with an ornamental skirt and a burial mask on the face - consists of equal parts of gold, silver and copper - cast and hammered - Museo Arqueológico Brünning - Lambayeque - 1976

Two gold vases with turquoise inlays - - 1977

Gold vase of the Chimú culture - Height 20,5 cm, diameter on top 17 cm - Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología - Lima - 1977

Gold vase and ear pendant of the Chimú culture - height of the vase 20,5 cm - diameter top 17 cm - Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología - Lima - 1977

Bangle, pin and earrings of the Chimú culture - Private collection - 1969

Chimú breast jewellery - with 166 faces, silver figures - Origin: Lambayeque - Archaeological Museum Brünning - Lambayeque - 1976

The golden tumi of Íllimo was a knife or ceremonial axe of the Lambayeque culture (8th to 14th centuries), although it was long wrongly attributed to the Chimú culture. It was made of embossed gold leaf and inlaid with semi-precious stones. Its blade had a semi-circular shape and its handle was an elaborate representation of a deity, probably the mythical Naylamp mentioned in Spanish chronicles. It is the most famous example of old Peruvian goldsmithing. It was stolen from the Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology in Lima in 1981. The valuable stolen piece had the following dimensions: Total length 43.5 cm; length of the figure of the god 29 cm; length of the knife in the shape of a half-moon 14.5 cm; maximum width 15.5 cm. The weight was 1 kilogram. - 1977

Tumi of gold, ceremonial axe - Height 35,4cm - Weight 457,5 g - 22 carat - set with turquoise - Chimú culture - Museo Oro del Perú - Lima - 1977

Tumi of gold, ceremonial axe - Chimú culture - Private collection - Lima - 1969

Lambayeque culture - gold tumi with turquoise inlays, representing the deity "Naymlap" - 22 carat - weight 536 g - Museo Oro del Perú - Lima - 1977

Gold and silver cast brooch of the Chimú Lambayeque culture - hammered and embossed work - with shells and earrings in turquoise - 12th century - Height 4.5 cm, weight 7 g - Museo Arqueológico Brünning - Lambayeque - 1976

Detail of a pre-Inca fabric. Height 43 cm, width 29 cm. There are 15 motifs on the fabric, it measures 3.22 m by 1.57 m. - Museo Puruchuco - Lima - 1976

Detail of a pre-Inca fabric. There are 15 motifs on the fabric and it measures 3.22 m by 1.57 m. - Museo Puruchuco - Lima - 1976

Feather hat - 12th century - Contents of a burial bundle - Ceremonial dress of feathers interspersed with silver - Puruchuco Museum - Lima - 1976

Fabrics of wool and cotton - Mochica culture - Origin Chiquitoy, Trujillo - Museo Amano - Lima - 1976

Tissue of the Nazca Culture - Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima - 1977

Gold bracelet of the Nazca culture - Colobri figures in flight and rings in high relief - 18 carat - Weight 60 g - Length 14.2 cm, width 7 cm - Museo Oro del Perú - Lima - 1977

Bottle with double spout and bridge from the Nazca culture depicting a Nazca god - age ca. 1700 years - height 22 cm - found in the Hacienda Cahuachi - Department Ica - Regional Museum of Ica - 1969

Bottle with double spout and bridge from the Nazca culture depicting a Nazca god - age ca. 1700 years - height 22 cm - found in the Hacienda Cahuáchi - Department Ica - Regional Museum of Ica - 1969

Ceramic drinking vessel of the Nazca culture in the shape of a fish - Museo Regional de Ica - 1969

Nazca culture ceramic bottle - Museo Regional de Ica - 1969

Nazca culture ceramic bottle representing a monkey - Museo Regional de Ica - 1969

Bottle with double spout and bridge from the Nazca culture - Private collection, Lima - 1969

Nazca culture ceramic vase - Private collection, Lima - 1969

Doll from Chancay - Height 35 cm - Private collection - Lima - 1976

Doll from Chancay - Height 34 cm - Private collection - Lima - 1976

Belt with male figures in cotton and wool - width 10,2 cm - Museo Amano - Lima - 1976

Chancay fabric with stylised personified animals - Height 22.5 cm - Width 8 cm - Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima

Vicús culture ceramic vase - Museo Regional de Ica - 1969

Vicus-Frías culture - golden hair remover - 20 carats - weight 41,5 g - height 13 cm - Museo "Oro del Perú" Miguel Mujica Gallo - Lima - 1977

Ceramic of the Mochica culture - Private collection - 1969

Ceramic huaco of the Chimú culture - Private collection - Lima - 1969

Ceramic huaco of the Mochica culture - Private collection - Lima - 1969

Ceramic huaco with a toucan - culture Mochica - Private collection - Lima - 1969

Big pot with cat relief - tricolour - 3 cats with body and head - found in Jancu near Huaraz, Ancash - culture Recuay - Regional museum of Huaraz - 1976

Huaylas ceramics - Representation of the sun deity on the back. Height 17,5 cm - Place of discovery Jancu near Huaraz, Ancash - Museo Regional de Huaraz - 1976

Ceramic vessel Huaylas with a cat-like creature in negative painting - Height 23 cm - Place of discovery Jancu near Huaraz - culture Recuay - Museo Regional de Huaraz - 1976

Ceramics of the culture Santa, Huari period, with two monkeys and snakes with human head - Height 20,5 cm - Museo Regional de Huaraz - 1976

Ceramics of the culture Santa, Huari period, with two monkeys and a musician playing on the zampoña - on the vessel a stylized cat animal is painted - Height 26 cm - Museo Regional de Huaraz - 1976

Human figure with child carved in stone - Height 84 cm - culture Recuay - Museo Regional de Huaraz - 1976

Human figure carved in stone - Height 97 cm - culture Recuay - Museo Regional de Huaraz - 1976

Stone slab with man and two pumas - width 1.65 m - culture Recuay - Museo Regional de Huaraz - 1976

Stone slab with two pumas and two birds - height 57 cm - culture Recuay - Museo Regional de Huaraz - 1976

Stone slab with two pumas and a human holding two trophy heads - Height 38 cm, width 1.69 m - Height of the human 32 cm - culture Recuay - Museo Regional de Huaraz - 1976

Stone figure of the Huaylas type - Private collection - Lima - 1969

Very often, on the heights of the Collao Altiplano around Lake Titicaca, one finds those strange monolithic chullpas, mummy graves of high leaders and members of a mysterious race that existed "before the sun rose". In Sillustani, on the Umayo peninsula on the lake of the same name, there are twelve tomb towers, some of which have collapsed. - 1976

Very often, on the heights of the Collao Altiplano around Lake Titicaca, one finds those strange monolithic chullpas, mummy graves of high leaders and members of a mysterious race that existed "before the sun rose". In Sillustani, on the Umayo peninsula on the lake of the same name, there are twelve tomb towers, some of which have collapsed. - 1969

Very often, on the heights of the Collao Altiplano around Lake Titicaca, one finds those strange monolithic chullpas, mummy graves of high leaders and members of a mysterious race that existed "before the sun rose". In Sillustani, on the Umayo peninsula on the lake of the same name, there are twelve tomb towers, some of which have collapsed. This tower has the relief of a lizard. - 1969

Detail of the wall of a square Chullpa of Cotimbo near Puno on Lake Titicaca. - 1969

The square shape of a Chullpa is very rare - Cotimbo near Puno on Lake Titicaca - 1969

Very often, on the heights of the Collao Altiplano around Lake Titicaca, one finds those strange monolithic chullpas, mummy graves of high-ranking leaders and members of a mysterious race that existed "before the sun rose". The blunt, 12 m high burial tower of Cutimbo, near Puno, has a relief with pumas at its base.

This puma head is part of a well in Juli - Puno - 1976

The petroglyphs of Toro Muerto are located in the Majes valley and are spread over an area of 5 km². It is perhaps the richest area of rock art in the world; it has more than 6'000 blocks engraved in bas-relief. These blocks have been engraved with all kinds of geometric and anthropomorphic representations, birds, quadrupeds, reptiles, etc. - 1976

Detail of a Tiahuanaco fabric, 160x62 cm, made of cotton and wool - Origin: Campanario, Huarmey - Amano Museum - Lima - 1976

Tiahuanaco warrior mummy from the coast - Nazca Valley - Regional Museum of Ica - 1976

Burial bundles of the coastal Tiahuanaco culture - Nazca Valley - 11th century - Regional Museum of Ica - 1976

Tiahuanaco fabric with four hands in red - Amano-Museum - Lima - 1976

Tiahuanaco culture ceramic vessel - Private collection Pelloni - Lima - 1969

Plate of the coastal Tiahuanaco culture - Nazca valley - 11th century - diameter 26 cm - Regional Museum of Ica - 1976

Coastal Tiahuanaco - Vessel with anthropomorphic representation of a warrior - Nazca valley - Height 32 cm - 10th century - Ica Regional Museum - 1969

Coastal Tiahuanaco - Vessel with anthropomorphic representation of a warrior - Nazca valley - Height 32 cm - 10th century - Ica Regional Museum - 1976

Ceramics of the coastal Tiahuanaco culture in the form of a man (priest?) with a Kero in his hands - 11th century - Nazca Valley - Museo Regional de Ica - 1976

Offering for the Pachamama - cult object made of stone - farm with animals and agricultural crops - private collection Lima - 1977

Offering for the Pachamama - Father, mother and two children - Cult object made of stone - Bolivia - 1977

Offering for the Pachamama - Hand - Length 10 cm - Private collection Lima - 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Ponce Monolith is a well-preserved stele, carved from a single block of andesite, situated in the inner courtyard of the Kalasasaya Temple at the pre-Inca archaeological site of Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco) in Bolivia. The statue features delicate, complex geometric and zoomorphic reliefs (such as sun, fish and condor motifs) as well as a mask-like facial form. The monolith is named after the Bolivian archaeologist Carlos Ponce Sanginés, who uncovered it in 1957. – Bolivia – 1976

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