Global change and the sacred Andes mountains

CERUTI, MARÍA CONSTANZA

Perth, Scotland

Congreso; Global Change and the World´s Mountains; 2010

University of the Highlands / UNESCO

The Incas were the first humans to surpass altitudes above 20,000 feet (6000 m) to perform mountaintop ceremonies. Not only offerings were presented, but also occasional sacrifices of children selected to become messengers to the Andean spirits. Nowadays, the shrines and frozen mummies preserved for five centuries on the highest summits of the Andes are endangered by looting, mining, and climate change. Our research in the field of high altitude archaeology, and mummy studies, in northern Argentina, contributes to preserve the unique and fragile heritage of the Inca civilization for future generations. Cultural and ritual practices of Andean groups today are also affected by global change. Our anthropological studies in the context of mountain pilgrimage - such as the festivity of the Lord of the Star of Snow - suggest that retreating glaciers in the Peruvian Andes have a deep effect in the religious life of the Quechua peasants. The impact of tourism in mountainous areas that used to be virtually isolated, such as the volcanoes of Ecuador or the Royal Range in Bolivia, should also be taken into consideration.