Museums are the center of collective emotions where the materialization of memory is housed, objects are its instruments and the museographic exhibition is the space where it is configured. Museums are places to encourage emotional and intellectual encounters with knowledge and collective expression; it is the living exhibition of culture, it is the soul of a people, a soul that transcends time and keeps us linked to our elders. It is not a simple collection of antique pieces and objects, art samples.
The museographic exhibition is a medium that takes on unexpected strength in today’s society, due in large part to its communicative nature, the particularity of its language, thematic flexibility and ability to reach various audiences. These characteristics allow museums to postulate themselves as an effective space for mediation and transmission of knowledge, where it is possible to transcend disciplinary boundaries with the common objective of creating ties of belonging between the various sectors of society.
The Inca Artifacts Museum is the place where our culture, the Andean culture, is kept alive, whose presentation involves visitors, allowing them to be actors within the exhibition, offering them the necessary information to be an interpreter of the contents, being part of an adventure of knowledge; inviting them to reflection, inspiration, the imagination of new realities or the exploration of himself as an individual and his society.
Location
Admiral’s Slope 103
Description
It is one of the most notable colonial houses in Cusco. Built at the beginning of the 17th century, with Inca stones, by Lieutenant Mayor Francisco Aldrete Maldonado, called the Admiral, he inhabited it until his death in 1643. Rebuilt by Pedro Peralta de los Ríos after the earthquake of 1650 and was again restored by the University San Antonio Abad del Cusco after the 1950 earthquake. Currently it bears the coat of arms of its rebuilders, who added the attractive Plateresque façade that it now looks like, as well as its large arched patio and coffered rooms.
The admiral’s palace:
In the three centuries that the viceregal period in Cusco covers, the Casa del Almirante is, without a doubt, the most beautiful example of the city’s civil architecture.
Its origins date back to the period of Mannerism that ruled the city of the city from the 1580s. According to the documentation of the departmental archive of Cusco and the heraldic study of the shields that appear on the cover, the house He belonged to one of the most illustrious families of conquerors, the Maldonado family. In Inca times the place was Huascar’s house. During the conquest it was awarded to Diego de Almagro and was later possessed by Hernando Machicao; the conqueror of the Chunchos: Governor Don Juan Alvarez Maldonado, married to Doña Leonor; Maldonado. It was his son and descendant Don Francisco Maldonado de Anaya, who had for sister Doña Ana Maldonado Cornejo and Doña Leonor Maldonado de Anaya. One of the daughters of Don Francisco Maldonado, Doña Mariana Cornejo married Admiral Don Francisco Alderete Maldonado, at the death of this Admiral in 1629, the heirs split the inheritance and by arrangement the widow Doña Mariana Cornejo remains the owner.
The shields that are currently seen on the cover correspond to the Maldonado de Anaya family and also to the Alderete Maldonado family, who owned the house until 1643, the date of his death.
The title of the house as «Admiral» corresponds to that worn by Alderete Maldonado himself and is endorsed by the planopia on the top, crowning both shields.
Attractions
It gathers a vast collection of keros (carved wooden ceremonial vessels), fabrics, mummies, and idolillos in solid gold and silver, as well as Inca weapons, tools and pottery. Its architecture shows the grandeur of the colony, such as the exterior balcony whose central column is shaped like a caryatid. It belongs to the San Antonio Abad del Cusco National University and has an enviable collection of archaeological pieces from the Inca culture.
Preinkan Cultures
It presents the vicuña hunters of the puna (7000 BC), with material from Chichillapi, Puno. Ceramic from Chavín (1000 BC), Nazca (100 BC) and Chancay; (1200 A.D.) from the central coast; Mochica; (100 D.C.); and Chimú (1100 AD); Likewise, the Paracas textile development is shown (800 BC)
The cultures of shepherds and farmers of high Andean tubers and cereals of the Titicaca plateau are exposed with Pukara (400 AC) Tiawanaco (500 AC) Wary (800 AD) and Qollao, which had ties with the Inkas, with whom they allied in the expansion that reached the current equator
Pre-Inkas Human Settlements (Cusco):
This exhibition of the Inca Artifacts Museum shows the development of the Marcavalle (1000 AC), the most remote origin of the city of Cusco, followed by Chanapata (800 AC), we also find the Qotakalli (600 AC) the important Wari presence in the middle horizon, which build urban centers like Pikillaqta. the settlement of Lucre (1000 AD), already marks the beginning of the Inkas.
Inca history:
Origins of the Inkas
The vicuña hunters, who precede the high altitude cultivators. Its development gives rise to Marcavalle, the most remote origin of the current city of Cuzco. Followed by Chanapata, Qotakalli, Wari and Araway. The important Wari presence in the Middle Horizon, which erects urban centers such as Pikillaqta. The settlement of Lucre already marks the beginning of the Inkas.
Inka continuity:
The exhibition concludes by showing the cultural and social importance of coca, both in historical and current times, which includes the worship of mountain divinities and pilgrimages to high-altitude shrines.
The paintings in lo qeros, dating from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, together with the drawings of Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala, are visual sources of great importance, due to the fidelity with which they reproduce events from the time of the Inkas that are used throughout the sample for the expansion of the Museum and the exhibition «Los Inkas Del Qosqo».
Invasion:
From this room, the intervention of the invaders is shown, the last Inka is victimized, it is about changing the Inka religion, the Inka State was destroyed, but not its culture.
The first Andean historian, the Inka Garcilazo de la Vega wrote the Royal Commentaries, which inspired most of the anti-colonial movements of the 18th century and generated the Inkanism that is part of contemporary Andean ideology.
The exhibition offers us portraits, images, murals, miniatures, sculptures of the Inka rulers of this ancestral culture.
Livelihood techniques:
Livestock of llamas and alpacas, together with agriculture of tubers and cereals of the Andean complex, allowed in the Tawantinsuyo an adequate production for the maintenance of the state apparatus (Qolqas).
Inca activities:
Inka ceramics:
Its quality and importance are shown in the massive production of large vessels, such as miniatures, intended for domestic and ceremonial use, in this exhibition the majesty of the works that the Incas have bequeathed us can be appreciated.
Inka architecture and urban planning:
The Inkas buildings and urban centers are unmistakable, even if they are two thousand kilometers from Cusco. The stone work is unrivaled in ancient Peru, in this exhibition some of the tools with which they made possible such unique constructions that are the amazement and admiration of the whole world are shown. Models of the most surprising buildings that our ancestors have bequeathed us can also be seen along the route.
Inka art:
In this part of the Inca Artifacts Museum you can see ornaments used by men and women of ancient Peru, along with metal work; the ceremonial vessels, dresses and weapons of war with which the Inkas managed to expand their empire.
Inka medicine:
The exhibition shows us the great advances that the Inkas had in medicine, performing surprising work in surgery, especially cranial, together with cranial deformations typical of our culture.
Schedule
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday: 08:00 to 18:00.
Saturdays and holidays: 09:00 to 16:00.
Costs: Adults S / 10.00
Visiting Cusco is a real adventure whose protagonist will be yourself, instead of a memorable experience, that is why Cusco is definitely one of the most incredible cities with a great variety of archaeological centers and tours such as Sacred Valley, Camino Inca or Machu Picchu. To enjoy an unforgettable experience, contact Inka Trail Backpacker, a company that will better assist you during your visit, of course it is always with the necessary advice for you and yours as well as the guarantee, responsibility and security that characterizes us. If you visit the city of Cusco another impressive destinations that you can visit are the tour to rainbow mountain peru or the humantay lake tour from cusco, which only takes one day. But if you are gonna to stay more days in Cusco, other archaeological places you can know will be the choquequirao trek peru, the salkantay trek to machu picchu, and the classic inca trail 4 days 3 nights.
