Exploring the Andes and the Inca Ruins

E G Squier, noted 19th century archeologist and newspaper editor, was appointed United States Commissioner to Peru in 1863. In that capacity he traveled extensively in the mountains of Bolivia and Peru, making the arduous journey across the Andes on the back of a mule. In his travels he took extensive notes and photographs of the Inca monuments then extant. This collection is a series that appeared in 1868, which describes his trip and some of the monuments that the Incas left behind. Traveling across the Cordillera Real of Bolivia, Squier takes us to Tiahuanaco (Tiwanaku) where he examines the precursor of the Inca Empire, its structure and some of the legends and histories. Then on to The Sacred Islands of Lake Titicaca, where, according to legends, the God Viracocha rose up to create the Sun, The Moon, The Stars and the first Human beings. Then on to the City of the Sun, Cuzco, the capital of the Inca Empire, to make a thorough examination of Sacasahuaman, the ancient fortress and palace of the Empire. Then on to Ollataytambo and the ancient palace and estate of the Emperor. Squiers articles are as much about the trip as it is about the ancient history he studies. His comments on the Geography and scenery paint great pictures of an area that at the time was seldom visited by Americans. The Natives, Indians and the Conquerors, The Priests and the Governors are introduced through the fog of typical American prejudices of the time. He introduces us to a people considered backward and ill educated. This series is loosely based on the twelve lecture series he delivered to the Lowell Institute in 1868.