Gold Ornaments of Northern Peru

"Off to the private Larco Museum in Lima, home to at least 40,000 pre-Colombian ceramic masterpieces and gold ornaments from northern Peru."

These Petroglyphs refer to the Constellations

Archaeologists discover ancient astronomy lab in northern Peru July 23, 2014 Andina - Stone altar engraved with astronomical symbols is 3,500-4,000 years old. Musica Andina!

"Laban"

"Kum-Harket or Laban (Little Wolf) or (Coyote). Cheyenne. 1913. Photo by De Lancey W. Gill. Source - National Anthropological Archives."

Kuelap and the Chachapoyas

"Kuelap Peru: Ancient Fortress Of The Cloud Warriors - The fortress of Kuelap or Cuélap (Chachapoyas, Amazonas, Perú), associated with the Chachapoyas culture, consists of massive exterior stone walls containing more than four hundred buildings. The structure, situated on a ridge overlooking the Utcubamba Valley in northern Peru, is roughly 600 meters in length and 110 meters in width. This prime example of Chachapoyan architecture, Kuelap, remained ignored by the outside world until 1843, when Juan Crisóstomo Nieto, a Chachapoyas judge, made a survey of the area and took note of Kuelap’s great size guided by villagers who had known of the site for generations. Subsequently, Kuelap earned the attention of explorers, historians and archaeologists." - Brien Foerster photos and text. Read about Kuelap in this new book by B.F.

Shaman and Condor in Peru

El cóndor y el chamán juntos van. "The condor and the shamn are together".

Umpqua woman wearing a basketry hat.

An Umpqua woman. Oregon? 1900. Photo by Lee Moorhouse. Source - National Anthropoligical Archives.

Chan Chan, Peru and the Peruvian Amazon

"The largest Pre-Columbian city in South America, Chan Chan is an archaeological site in the Peruvian region of La Libertad, five km west of Trujillo. Chan Chan covers 20 km² and had a dense urban center of 6 km², and was constructed by the Chimor (the kingdom of the Chimú), a late intermediate period civilization which grew out of the remnants of the Moche civilization. Chan Chan is the largest adobe city in the world. It lasted until its conquest by the Inca Empire in AD 1470. It was the imperial capital where 30,000 people lived. In the Moche Valley there were some major economic and agricultural shifts. The first shift occurred when the settlements first became permanent. The entire diet of these coastal communities came primarily from the sea and included such foods as sea lion, shore birds, mussels, and shallow-water fish. In terms of plant foods cotton, gourds, and squash were cultivated on this river flood plain and made up a small portion of the diet. Exotic items that were found in burials or in offerings were quite substantial. There were Spondylus, beads and pendants, from Ecuador which was found in certain graves in the burial mounds of Chan Chan. Copper, gold, and silver were also commonly found in these graves as well as some indication of copper used for domestic purposes." Chan Chan pictures and information thanks to B.F. (Brien Foerster). From the Peruvian Amazon, photo by Michael Coe. Shipibo tribe ~ Peruvian Amazon - Shipibo ceramic pattern surrounded by anacondas!

Oldest Book - Etruscan, Undeciphered.

"Discovery Made In An Ancient Tomb – Six Golden Pages Of The Oldest Book In The History Of Mankind More than sixty years ago, a very unique discovery was accidentally made in the Valley of Struma River, the greatest river in western Bulgaria, during road construction works. A small book was found in an old tomb covered with frescoes. It is the world’s oldest book in the history of mankind, made of gold and dated to 600 BC. The illustrated six golden pages are made of 23.82-karat gold (measuring 5 centimeters in length and 4.5 centimeters in width) and fastened together with gold rings. The pages are covered with text and decorated with images of warriors, a horseman, a Siren and a lyre. The authenticity of the book was confirmed by two independent experts from Bulgaria and England. According to researchers from the National Museum of History in Sofia, Bulgaria, the six sheets are believed to be the oldest comprehensive work involving multiple pages. As the expert said, “there are about 30 similar pages known in the world, but they are not linked together in a book”.

The Flood

Lower left - Toltec carving of a flood with volcanoes.

"Mayan Princess"

"Mayan Princess" by Brahma Templeman.

Corbelled Arch

This a corbel arch from the House of Bats in Copan. They are found in he Great Pyramids in Egypt, the temples of Asia and at this site in Honduras. Corbelled arch in Cambodia. Corbelled arch at Sayil in the Puuc style - Yucatan, Mexico. This ancient design for an arch dates the era during which the style was used in the Old and New Worlds. These buildings were constructed before the invention of the rounded Roman arch. Ancient corbel arch - Mycenaean. Mayan arch. Yucatan - Puuc style arch. Corbelled arches in Torina, Mexico.

Chaco Canyon Kiva and Bandurria, Peru

"Casa Riconada in Chaco Canyon is situated to magnetic north and marks the sunrise on the winter solstice as well as the lunar standstill. It is a magical place of light and sound. It was specifically chosen as a sacred ceremonial site. This photo shows light on the floor of this great Kiva." Bandurria, Peru - Caral and Bandurria are the oldest civilization in the Americas. Compare to the Grand Kiva at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico.

Mayan Ballcourt Player

Mayan ballplayer, note his huge rubber belt for bouncing the ball through the small hoop on the wall of the stone ball court.

Paracas Textiles and Izapa, Mexico

"LIMA, PERU—Sweden will return the first four of 89 embroidered Paracas textiles to Peru later this month, according to a report in The New York Times. The 2,500-year-old textiles, which were smuggled out of Peru in the 1930s by the Swedish consul, have been displayed in the National Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg. Among the items the mayor of Gothenburg will hand over to Peru’s vice minister of cultural patrimony is a woven mummy’s cloak decorated with tiles of animals that may represent time periods or the seasons. The process of repatriation will be completed in 2021." Note the Monster Mask motif on the feet of the jaguar. This is a Peruvian trait that shows up in the art of Mexico. From Izapa, Mexico - one of the stela carvings there. Note the Monster Mask shoes. I asked one of my Aztec dancer friends to describe this footwear, he said, "Those are Alligator Shoes" - these are not your usual alligator shoes, not the white man`s version!

The Olmec Stone Heads of Veracruz, Mexico

Are these portraits of the leaders of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies who were given land in the territory of the Nephites? “Book of Mormon Story: The Honest People of Ammon”- A retelling of the story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies - “The Buried Weapons”.

The Temple of the Moon near Machu Picchu

B.F. sitting in the Temple of the Moon near Machu Picchu.

Ancient Columbian Gold

The Museo del Oro in Santa Fé de Bogotá, Colombia.