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9. Heritage Resource Management in Peru
- University Press of Florida
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9 Heritage Resource Management in Peru Jorge E. Silva As soon as Spaniards reached America in the early fifteenth century, they immediately recognized several societies with strange cultural patterns that were different from them in many ways. They also found empires with high levels of political organization: the Aztec, in what is now Mexico, and the Inca in Peru. The Incas developed as a distinctive society without having a written language, wheeled transport, or other types of vehicles usually associated with Old World civilizations. The Inca Empire, with its capital, Cusco, in the southern highlands of Peru, was part of a long cultural history that evolved independently in South America and achieved a highly centralized political system controlling a large territory from Ecuador to central Chile. This chapter is intended to provide a preliminary examination of the management of cultural resources in Peru, emphasizing its legal aspects, and the framework of methods and procedures, which have attempted to preserve the Peruvian cultural heritage for future generations. An interesting analysis of this topic has been published recently by Cortes and Vich (2006). On a global scale, serious efforts have been taken in order to face accelerated destruction of past remains by establishing specific priorities for preservation of cultural heritage (for example, Messenger 1999a). The points discussed below follow a chronological order, outlining the most important legal changes introduced by the Peruvian government concerning heritage management . Historical Legal Background After King Carlos V defeated the empire of Tawantinsuyu in the early sixteenth century, he established his right over the property of the entire territory, including relics and monuments. As a result of this land claim, Viceroy F. de Toledo, in 1574, defined a number of conditions in order to control the looting of “Indian treasures” (Avalos de Matos and Ravines 1974:364). At the same time, the Spanish royalty undertook a strong campaign against native religious cults that was referred to as the “extirpation of idolatries.” As a result, royal property Heritage Resource Management in Peru 125 rights over antiquities were designed to preserve relics and monuments that were considered valuable. The spirit of preserving past remains is also clearly expressed by the Supreme Decree 89 of April 2, 1822, promulgated during the protectorship of José de San Martin. This decree not only created the National Museum, but also attested to the state’s commitment regarding conservation and protection of past remains and the nation’s sovereignty over them. Also, this decree prohibited extraction or excavation of old buildings or huacas without government permission and established a fine of “mil pesos” (1,000 pesos in the official currency at the time), which was used for public education. By 1836, President Luis José Orbegoso promulgated Supreme Decree 433, which organized the National Museum to incorporate a section regarding native plants and animals and prohibiting citizens from looting and selling antiquities . In September 1837, the Peruvian government amended this decree with the establishment of a number of measures to avoid their illegal exportation. In 1841, President Agustín Gamarra signed Supreme Decree 556, which reinforced previous legal provisions and included colonial paintings in the list of government-protected cultural patrimony. Almost a century and a half later, in 1971, the military government signed Law 18780, which prohibited the exportation of pre-Hispanic or colonial relics. But the above-mentioned laws could not eliminate the looting and collecting of antiquities due to the commercial value placed on Peruvian antiquities. According to Avalos de Matos and Ravines (1974:366), looting and trafficking of archaeological artifacts were intense during the construction of the LimaAnc ón railroad line in the 1870s (Ancón being a small town located about 40 km north of Lima). In fact, this has been a widespread activity from the nineteenth century until today. In order to prevent more looting and demolishing of huacas and ancient cemeteries, in 1893 the Peruvian government enacted other legal provisions concerning protection of past remains. First, the government called for the conservation of the past, without which the reconstruction of Peruvian history would be impossible. Second, a special antiquities conservation committee was created in order to assess monuments through an archaeological excavation permitting process. However, permits did not indicate the professional skills required to conduct an excavation. Third, the government allowed an excavator to keep all of the excavated objects, though an inventory was required to be submitted to the committee. Preserving the Past in Twentieth-Century Peru Substantial steps toward the protection and study of antiquities were...