Peru

History & culture

History

Peru is best known as the heart of the Inca Empire, but it was home to many diverse cultures long before the Incas arrived. Although hunter gatherers lived in Peru as long ago as the eighth millennium BC, there is little evidence of organized village life until about 2500 BC. A change in climate in the coastal regions prompted Peru's early inhabitants to move toward the more fertile interior river valleys.

For the next 1500 years, Peruvian civilization developed into a number of organized cultures, including the Chavěn and the Sechěn. The Chavěn are known for their striking figurative idols of animals (the jaguar in particular). The Sechěn are noted more for their military supremacy than for their cultural achievements. The decline of the Chavěn and Sechěn cultures around the 5^th century BC gave rise to a number of distinctive regional cultures.

The Paracas culture on the coast saw artistic and technological advances such as kiln-fired ceramics and fine weaving techniques. From the Paracas arose the Nazca, whose legacy includes the gigantic and enigmatic Nazca Lines. However, these early Peruvian civilizations seem to pale in comparison to the robust pre-Columbian civilization of the Inca.

The Inca Empire was only short-lived. In 1430, the realm of the Inca consisted of little more than the river valley around Cusco. Less than a century later, through conquest and a clever policy of incorporating the best features of the societies they subjugated, the Incas controlled a vast territory of almost 1 million square kilometres - from northwest Argentina to southern Colombia. The Inca capital, at Cusco (Qosqo), was the richest city in all of the Americas, with temples literally covered in gold. In 1532, at the height of its power, the Inca Empire was driven by a war of succession between two brothers Huáscar and Atahualpa. In one of the great tragedies of history, it was at precisely this moment that Francisco Pizarro and his band of Spanish conquistadors arrived on the scene. Pizarro used deception and guile to gain a personal meeting with Atahualpa, the Inca ruler, whom he coolly assassinated, having accumulated a huge ransom of gold and silver. Atahualpa had already ordered the death of his brother. In the face of fierce resistance, Pizarro and his men seized Cusco and sacked the city. Although the Incas continued to fight for the next several years, their empire had ended and Spanish rule had begun.

As the Spanish were a maritime nation, Lima was founded on the coast in 1535. Some of the other native cultures resisted the colonization, but eventually with reinforcements and the superiority of gunpowder and horses, the take-over was complete.

Though Indian rebellions were doomed to fail, eventually the creoles (Spanish born in the Americas) formed an independence movement, and under General San Martin proclaimed Peru's independence in 1821.

The country grew with export of guano and rubber, but theses were short-lived booms. Other mineral wealth and exports of commodities such as sugar and cotton took over. The wealth was managed by the elite, whilst life for the Indians in the Andes changed little. The last century was marked by political upheavals from military juntas to communist guerrilla warfare. Recent revolutionary movements were quashed, and the country has undergone a greater degree of prosperity.

Culture

Almost half of Peru's people are Amerindian, while another one third or so are mestizo (Spanish-Indian mix). The rest are a melting pot of European descent, plus African and Asian minorities. Although Spanish is Peru's official language, indigenous languages continue to hold sway in the highlands and Amazon; Quechua and Aymara are the most widely spoken.

Peru's population of about 23 million is divided between the highlands and the coast. The highland regions are poor farmers, while the fertile river valleys of the lowlands have produced a wealthier, more cosmopolitan culture.

Art prior to Spanish colonization concentrated upon fine ceramics, metalwork, stone craft and textiles. The Spanish subsequently introduced planned cities laid out in blocks, and constructed mansions, churches and monasteries which mimicked renaissance or early baroque. Over time, a native Indian influence developed, leading to a style known as Mestizo. A distinctive Cusco painting style developed, in which artists turned their attention away from the visible world, and concentrated instead on fairytale and fable.

Peruvian music is almost entirely folk music, especially in the Andes, with African influences around Lima. Its literature covers everything from chronicles of the conquest, independence-inspired poets to the internationally renowned author Mario Vargas Llosa. The main religion is Roman Catholicism, though Catholicism blends with traditional beliefs.

Typical Peruvian dishes are tasty and vary regionally. Seafood is, understandably, best on the coast, while the Inca delicacy - roast guinea pig - can be sampled in the highlands. Other dishes include: lomo saltado (chopped steak fried with onions); cebiche de corvina (white sea bass marinated in lemon, chili and onions, often served cold with a boiled potato or yam); and sopa a la criolla (a lightly spiced noodle soup with beef, egg, milk and vegetables). A local spirit forms the basis of the cocktail 'Pisco Sour'.

Fiestas & holidays

Fiestas are a part of life throughout Peru. Any religious or pre-Christian feast day is an excuse for live music, wearing elaborate costumes and consuming vast quantities of alcohol. Sometimes the fiestas last for days or weeks. Sometimes they involve throwing water, flour or other missiles at each other. There are numerous regional festivals. The most notable is Carnival week that usually takes place in February. The usual hum-drum life in the dusty altiplano is transformed by the costumes, music and incessant dancing. The holidays usually are usually associated with a harvest festival or giving thanks to the sun and rain gods. The costumes depict mythological themes or poke fun at the Spanish who tried to wipe out the Indian culture.

Main fiestas:

Carnival: weekend before Ash Wednesday
Semana Santa: Holy week ending on Easter Sunday
Fiesta de la Cruz: 1 May in much of highlands and coast
Inti-Raymi: The whole of June is a fiesta in Cusco culminating with June 24 the festival of the Sun.
Santa Rosa: 30 August in Lima
Señor de los Milagros: Lima in October
Todos los Santos (All Saints): 1 November
Inmaculada Concepción: 8 December
Other dates when travel may be difficult are New Year's Day: 1 January, Reyes 6 January, Labour Day 01 May, Independence (Fiestas Patrias) 28-29 July, Navidad 24-25 December.