Have you ever related archeology with activism? Well, maybe you should start. In Peru, the land of millenary cultures, several groups are working to ensure that the nation’s large archeological heritage is not lost and is part of Peruvian pride.
Save Las Huacas (SLH) is a project that can be traced back to 2001 when school teacher Koke Contreras, along with students from the Limean school where he worked, tried to create citizen networks for the archeological heritage’s defense and preservation:
“The project takes advantage of the new information and communication technology (ICT) as a tool for social organization and mobilization geared towards the cultural heritage’s preservation. SLH looks to become a tool for various local communities interested in developing citizen surveillance systems and local participation in the archeological heritage’s defense and preservation.”
“By definition, huaca is a Quechua term that refers to a sacred place or object. Therefore, huaca can be a religious structure, a hill, a lagoon, a stream, a tree, a cave or any place or object (a rock, an idol, or a mummy) that the ancient Peruvians considered to be sacred. With time, the term’s connotation changed and today we use huaca for all monumental and pre-Hispanic architectural heritage such as temples, administrative centers, forts, cemeteries, etc. That’s to say, we Peruvians actually associate the term with any elevated, physical construction made by our ancestors.”
Save the Huacas has two goals: sketch maps of Lima’s archeological remains through its web platform and create citizen awareness regarding the importance that these remains have for local and national identity. To do this, they hold activities such as archeological hikes ”with the intention to identify what state our archeological heritage is in, to search for, register, and document its current condition, so that later maps of new sites can be sketched on the platform” that also serve to attract the interest of more citizens.
Some hikes are supported by archeologists, who explain to the assistants the history of the huaca and what is being done to recover, as these videos show.
In this video, the guide explains how the zone where the huaca is located used to be, and how nowadays the huaca and the guided visits have changed the perspective of the surrounding area:
In this second video, we see the guide explaining how the area was in pre-Hispanic times, how ancient Peruvians used the facilities and how the area is been preserved nowadays:
In a blog post on Save the Huacas, Koke Contreras reflects on what the participants saw on one of the hikes in Murallas de Chuquitanta, an archeological site in the Lima surrounding area:
“We went on in search of the rest of the walls, until an invitation to live in this tranquil zone of Lima appeared before our eyes. In effect, the real-estate boom happened, it couldn’t be missed. A pre-Hispanic mud wall on the verge of collapse welcomed us. A sign invites us to live in this pastoral part of the valley. Take advantage of the occasion, separate with time, choose your spot, place your rock, your fence, and imagine the dream home. Will that defense wall, which once repelled the attacks and invasions of other regions before the Incas’ arrival, be able to withstand the real-estate invasion?”
Along the same lines, the Colectivo Colli develops activities that promote local identity through the knowledge and assessment of history, especially in the Lima district of Comas, northern Lima, and surrounding areas:
“The Colectivo Colli is an organization composed of young people, teenagers, young adults, and individuals interested in the archeological heritage’s protection. Its main objective is to increase awareness in the defense and conservation of the different monuments, buildings, roads, walls, and tangible expressions of the ancient pre-Hispanic settlers from northern Lima. “
One of Colectivo Colli‘s activities is to clean the huacas, carried out with specialized, technical support and collaboration from schools in the area.
“At the Huaca El Retablo [The Alterpiece Huaca], Colectivo Colli coordinated with enthusiastic neighbors nearby the archeological site throughout the week. They come and make a big effort to salvage the abandoned state this space finds itself in, which is frequented at night by unsavory characters. Led by their teachers, enthusiastic students from the Colegio William Shakespeare joined up to clean the huaca and its surroundings. “
“The activity is composed of a one guided visit per month through the different Huacas in Lima’s districts. It explains the role they fulfilled in their historical context and evaluates their conservation status. Finally, the cyclists pedal in circles around the Huacas as a means to reconnect with them and revitalize their protective energy. “
At a time when Peru’s heritage has been threatened and a large portion of the population lacks of awareness, support from institutions, local government, and the state is needed — as well as the participation of everyone in general.
This article was written by Juan Arellano, and translated by Kelley Johnson. It was published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical 3.0 licence on GlobalVoicesOnline.org. Homepage image from a video by Juan Arellano/YouTube.
