Peru This Week: Peru uses drones for archaeological projects

"Peru uses drones for archeological projects"
W. Alejandro Sanchez
Peru This Week
July 21, 2014
Originally published: http://www.peruthisweek.com/news-peru-uses-drones-for-archeological-projects-103444

At a time when the usage of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for military purposes continues to be controversial around the world, Peru is successfully utilizing its drones for civilian projects. Specifically, Peruvian archaeologists are using drones to study pre-Inca ruins in the country’s Andes and Amazon.

The UAVs’ video and photography cameras are certainly helpful as they provide archeologists an “eye in the sky” for research, including locating ruins which are not easily spotted from the ground. Additionally, drones can help create 3D models of archeological sites.

The era of archeological drones in Peru has started thanks to the 2013 discovery of tombs that belonged to a pre-Inca culture called Chachapoyas. The tombs were located in El Tigre mountain, in the Amazonas region. A drone flew 300 meters and photographed 23 sarcophagi which, according to the Peruvian media, are part of a cemetery for the children of important families of the Chachapoya people. The drone that was used for this important discovery was a Phantom I, which is produced by the Chinese company DJI.

This successful usage of drones will likely entice the Peruvian government to acquire more of them. Already, there are reports that the Peruvian Ministry of Culture plans to purchase more drones for archaeological projects in the Lambayeque and La Libertad regions, where there is evidence of the presence of two other pre-Inca cultures: Lambayeque and Chimu. Besides the Chachapoyas finding, drones are already being used elsewhere in Peru. For example, the renowned Peruvian archeologist Luis Jaime Castillo, has flown drones to explore the San Jose de Moro site, an ancient burial ground that belonged to the Moche culture and which encompasses 150 hectares.

But as much as drones can aid Peruvian archaeologists, this new technology has a few drawbacks. An August 2013 report by Reuters explains, “[drone] batteries are big and short-lived, it can take time to learn to work with the sophisticated software and most drones struggle to fly in higher altitudes.” The last point is important as the Peruvian Andes are filled with ruins dating back to the Inca empire (i.e. the Machu Picchu citadel) and pre-Inca cultures. The fact that some drones cannot perform well at high altitudes is a problem that will hopefully be solved as new models are produced that can adapt to different environments. 
As for learning how to fly drones, the Peruvian government is carrying out proactive initiatives. For example, this past March the Ministry of Culture organized a workshop on drone usage in Lima and also in the Tumbas Reales de Sipan Museum in the Lambayeque region. These workshops brought together over a hundred specialists that focus on different aspects of discovering and protecting Peru’s historical heritage; they learned how to utilize drones for aerial photography, 3D modeling and digital topography.

The aforementioned Castillo is now Peru’s deputy minister for culture and a supporter of using drone technology for archaeological purposes in the Andean nation. In a February interview, he highlighted how “now, for a few hundred dollars, you can buy a decent quadricopter with a camera. You’re going from nothing to everything.” Castillo was referring to how previously Peruvian archaeologists had to resort to sketchpads to draw the peculiarities and aspects of a site, but now a drone greatly facilitates this work.

Without a doubt, UAVs can have various positive effects on the future of Peruvian archeology. As the Andean country continues to enjoy a decade of economic growth, hopefully sufficient funds will be given to Peruvian cultural agencies in order to not only protect Peru’s rich history, but also strengthen future archeological projects.

Peru This Week: National Geographic Museum in Washington to feature pre-Inca exhibit

National Geographic Museum in Washington to feature pre-Inca Exhibit
W. Alejandro Sanchez
Peru This Week
April 9, 2014
Originally published: http://www.peruthisweek.com/blogs-national-geographic-museum-in-washington-to-feature-pre-inca-exhibit-102701 

From April to September 2014, the National Geographic Museum, located in downtown Washington DC, will feature an exhibit entitled: “Peruvian Gold: Ancient Treasures Unearthed.” As the title implies, the renowned society will feature a lengthy exhibition of pre-Inca gold and silver craftsmanship.

This rich display will kick off this upcoming Thursday, April 10, with an evening exhibition and opening night party hosted by Fredrik Hiebert, National Geographic’s Archaeology Fellow and the exhibition’s curator, and Cecilia Bakula, director of the Museum of Peru’s Banco Central de Reserva (Central Reserve Bank).

A February 26 National Geographic press release gives further insight into the types of pre-Inca artifacts that will be in display. Among them will be the El Tocado, which is “the largest and most ornate pre-Columbian headdress ever discovered.” This gold headdress dates back to the Middle Sican period (A.D. 900-1100) and this is the first time that it will be on display in the United States since it was unearthed in 1991.

Kathryn Keane, vice president of National Geographic Exhibitions, highlights the historical ties between National Geographic and Peru’s heritage. She explains that “National Geographic has been sharing the stories and the archaeology of ancient Peru for more than 100 years.”

It would seem that National Geographic will have to do another exhibition focusing on different Peruvian cultures as, in the past couple of years, there have been successful archeological excavations in the Andean nation. For example, three tombs (two from the Inca era and one pre-Inca) were discovered in the Salapunku complex around Machu Picchu, in 2012. A year later, in mid-2013, the tomb of a prominent woman from the Moche culture was discovered in San Jose de Moro in the Jequetepeque River valley of northern Peru.

It is worth stressing that Peruvian culture, both Inca and pre-Inca has long been the subject of interest among U.S. scholars and history aficionados. This past December 2013, the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, also located in Washington DC, hosted an evening presentation provocatively titled: “To Write or Knot? Recent Advances in the Study of Andean Knotted Cord Records.”

The event’s speaker was Gary Urton, the Dumbarton Oaks Professor of Pre Columbian Studies and Chairman of the Department of Anthropology at Harvard University. Professor Urton’s presentation (which the author of this commentary had the pleasure of attending) was an insightful discussion about advances in understanding the quipus, a complicated system of knots that made up what is regarded as the “written language” of the Incas. The Harvard scholar discussed the different types of quipus that have been discovered and put forth some of his theories on what the length of a knot, its type, as well as the color of the string, could possibly mean.

If nothing else, the National Geographic exhibition and the December 2013 presentation regarding quipus at Dumbarton Oaks highlights the fascination that people around the world have for the plethora of cultures, both the Incas and the numerous before them, that existed in Peru centuries ago.

Hence, it is tragic to see that while other parts of the world, such as the U.S., revere Inca and pre-Inca cultures; there has not been the same amount of interest among segments of Peruvian society to protect these priceless relics. This past March, there was the terrible desecration of Cuzco’s famous twelve-angle stone: an unknown individual spray painted what appears to be the initials “JHR” on it.

Due to such vandalism, the Peruvian government has turned to technology for aid. For example, agencies of Peru’s Ministry of Culture are acquiring aerial drones that can be used both for archeological investigations (by serving as an “eye in the sky”) as well as to protect historical sites. This past March, a workshop on how to use drones for archeological goals was carried out in the Museum of Sipan, in Peru’s Lambayeque region. Additionally, the Peruvian government will install new security cameras in Machu Picchu to crack down on the infamous nude tourism.

Without a doubt it is marvelous that renowned institutions like National Geographic and Dumbarton Oaks as well as renowned scholars are both interested and marveled by Peru’s historical heritage. But, to paraphrase a popular cliché, with a great heritage comes great responsibility. Having a rich history means that the Peruvian government and society in general must have the willingness and resources to protect it.

Blouin: The real culprit behind Peru’s ruined ruins

The Real Culprit behind Peru's Ruined Ruins
W. Alejandro Sanchez
Blouin Beat: World
July 16, 2013
Originally published: http://blogs.blouinnews.com/blouinbeatworld/2013/07/16/the-real-culprit-behind-perus-ruined-ruins/

Peru’s booming tourism industry has been a cornerstone of the South American country’s economic growth. This makes the destruction in July of one of the twelve 4,000 year-old pyramids in the El Paraiso archaeological complex all the more grim. Besides the known culprits, real-estate developers, there’s an additional and unlikely cause: Machu Picchu.

That citadel of the Incan Empire is the country’s flagship tourist destination. A recent survey named Machu Picchu as the third most popular tourist destination in South America.

However, the Peruvian government is unfortunately not giving the same care and priority to other archeological centers as it gives to Machu Picchu.

Reports explain that the developers – Inmobiliaria Alisol S.A.C. and Provelanz E.I.R.L. — used heavy machinery to harm and subsequently burnt one the pyramids at the El Paraiso complex, located not far from Lima. “[These people] have committed irreparable damage to a page of Peruvian history,” says Marco Guilen, the director of an excavation project at El Paraiso. When the developers arrived to destroy one of twelve pyramids located there, the center was not guarded. They argue that they had legally purchased 50 hectares of land where the El Paraiso site is located and planned to build a housing complex. After the destruction of the pyramid was made public, guards were deployed to prevent further damage. Meanwhile, Peru’s Ministry of Culture, in charge of overseeing the conservation of archeological sites, has started a lawsuit against the developers.

Worryingly, the destruction of the El Paraiso pyramid is not an isolated event. An example of similar unsalvageable archeological destruction occurred in May in Belize. There, a construction company destroyed an ancient Mayan pyramid at the site of the Nohmul (meaning Big Mound) in order to build a road.The archeological center is at least 2,300 years old and is (or was) the most important site in northern Belize. But the loss of one of the twelve El Paraiso pyramids serves as a stark reminder that some sites receive more priority by authorities when it comes to conservation and protection initiatives. Both Peru and Belize have laws that protect archeological sites, but such laws are useless if they are not properly and actively enforced. If only for financial-related reasons, Peruvian authorities should protect archeological sites around the nation due to their contribution to tourism and local economies.

Tourism in Peru benefits from a plurality of archeological centers and historical attractions in the county’s highlands, such as the Valley of the Incas, the Sacsayhuaman fortress and the cathedral in the city of Cuzco. Most of these sites date back to the Incan Empire and pre-Incan cultures, and have made the region a paradise for tourists, archeologists, and even television producers — a Brazilian soap opera, called Amor a Vida, filmed several episodes in Cuzco this past April.

It should be remembered here, as well, that tourism to Machu Picchu is growing — and so is concern that the massive flow of visitors to the citadel will put the safety of the ruins in jeopardy. Furthermore, authorities are also concerned that the expansion of Aguas Calientes, a nearby town, could affect the ruins. In May 2012, specialists from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) visited Machu Picchu and provided suggestions to local authorities on how to protect the citadel. The Peruvian government, specially the Ministry of Culture, needs to listen — and apply those suggestions nationwide to protect its wealth of cultural history.