My Travels In Peru

Valley of the Pyramids

Our next stop in our imaginary journey was Sipan, located in the largest valley of Peru. 

When we arrived we went up the Lambayeque River and were amazed by the large cities we saw on both sides that made me think of Akkad, Babylon and Uruk of ancient Mesopotamia. Even more, the entire area was strewn with pyramids. It was an incredulous sight. Without exaggeration, there were hundreds of them. It was simply astounding. All the pyramids belonged to three large cities, of which only Tucume, on the south side of the river, was still inhabited. We hadn't seen anything like this before. The best name we could give it was Valley of the Pyramids. Nothing else would do. After arriving we learned that over the centuries people abandoned one city and started another.

"Why the obsession with pyramids?" I thought. We didn't have to wait long to learn the answer; and it wasn't too surprising. They built tall, truncated-pyramids, in excess of forty metres high, so that they would become the dwellings of the gods. At the very least, the priests would be closer to them to aid communication. We had learned about the mountain spirits (Apus) when we toured the Sacred Valley. Here, the shamans (priests) believed that the high buildings would bring them closer to the upper realm, facilitating their communication with the divine beings. Accordingly, the tops of the pyramids were sacred places and only the high priests lived there to invoke the powers of the Apus. Simply put, their pyramids were artificial mountains serving the same purpose as the tall mountains we had seen in the Urubamba Valley. The people of the Lambayeque Valley shared the same religious beliefs as their highland brethren.

Tucume was a large city, with over two-dozen pyramids constructed around a two-hundred-metre-high hill shaped like a cone. They were not just religious and ceremonial buildings. They were also the abode of the elite class, whose houses comprised the outer shell of the solid pyramids. The high priest, who was also the lord, lived at the very top. When you think about it, even today there is a fascination with tall buildings, and people pay premium prices to live in penthouses of high-rise buildings. The lesser nobility lived in the lower levels. The residential areas for the working class, and their workshops, were interspersed among the numerous pyramids. The social hierarchy was very visible. Certain things never change, no matter how many times the cycle of life repeats itself!

Sipan, the lord of the homonymous city, was rich beyond imagination. His army, having recently quashed a rebellion, had just returned with a large number of prisoners. The victorious general led them into the large square in chains, to claim his moment of glory in front of his king and his fellow citizens. With a proud look and happy face, his majesty stood up from the throne seat to receive his valiant general, his favourite nephew. As he rose, the crowd went silent: nothing stirred. His big, golden headpiece made him look even taller and more imposing. His gold and silver robe, large golden pectoral, and magnificent, gold-plated royal sceptre reflected the rays of the midday sun and made him appear even more striking. For the people gathered there, he was nothing less than a god.

The general bowed in his presence and the prisoners were forced to kneel, as the king pronounced their fate. Only a few were spared. In short order, the others would be sacrificed to Ai Apaec. The citizens were ecstatic about the public beheadings that were about to take place. As the chicha was being served, prior to the executions, we took our leave. That was not my idea of entertainment, but shedding blood for their gods was their highest form of sacrifice, and a ritual that brought genuine pleasure to them. Because of my beliefs, I looked at it from the viewpoint that human lives would be taken in vain: they looked at it from the viewpoint that their gods would reward their actions. For them, there was no moral issue.

From Sipan, we headed inland; and after a long overland journey we arrived at the city that was once known as the cradle of Peruvian civilization – Chavin de Huantar – a marvellous city constructed in stone. In the highlands, stone was readily available, and given the rainy climate, it was the best construction material. Its people considered it the centre of the world. To them, nothing anywhere could exceed the splendour of their city. They may have been right!