Indigenous Culture: Peru (essay) by Pedro Merino

foto tomada de Wikipedia

Indigenous Culture: Peru (essay)

      Through the centuries many people have left their legacy.  Several papers written by historians are witnesses to that era. The Inca Civilization is what has always motivated me to search. I will rely on three elements about this culture: communications, culture and gastronomy.

     The communication of the Inca Empire, through rocky roads and highways, amazed the Spanish conquistadors. For example, the Inca were training the “chasquis”, or messengers from their childhood. These messengers were able to deliver their messages in just five days, and traveled, during that time, about 2, 500 miles.
    The cultural legacy of that empire can be seen in the groundwork of the Inca civilization throughout modern buildings in several cities in Peru. Roads and bridges that have survived the pounding of centuries due to the force of earthquakes can be observed throughout. For example, The Nazca Desert is an aerial view where plants, animals and geometric figures can be witnessed by tourists.
    Concerning the gastronomy, for example, one can say that when someone eats french fries, he or she must remember the Inca and their legendary empire on top of the Andes, where this tubercle is originated. If the Irish had done ¨chuño¨ when they adopted the potato, they might have not suffered the hunger of 1848, caused by the destruction of the potato crops by a harmful insect.
     I believe that the Peruvian civilization has left important knowledge of communication, in the culture, and the Inca gastronomic heritage. Every time we talk of Peru, we should recall the Inca. Without  a doubt, Peru is an inspiration to students of ancient civilizations.


Nota: partes del ensayo (introducción, desarrollo y conclusiones) que son impartidas en escuelas y colegios de EE.UU.