HIGHLAND COMMUNITIES OF CENTRAL PERU—TSCHOPIK 9 
and qguinual trees border the foothills and irriga- 
tion ditches, and in places line the river banks 
(pl. 1, a). 
That this valley has been important throughout 
the range of Andean history is evidenced by the 
numerous archeological remains which, located 
for the most part in the foothills, rim the valley 
floor. Indeed Lima was originally founded by 
Pizarro near the present town of Jauja, although 
its location was later changed because the region 
was considered to be too remote from the seacoast 
(Vazquez de Espinosa, 1942, p. 474). Since this 
time many important events in Peruvian history 
have been enacted in the Jauja Valley, and on 
more than one occasion Huancayo has been the 
temporary capital of the Republic. 
The Central Railway, with its terminal at 
Huancayo, and the Central Highway run the 
length of the valley on the left bank of the Man- 
taro River. In order, presumably, to conserve 
the maximum area of the valley floor for agricul- 
tural purposes, mavy of the numerous towns are 
built at the edges of the foothills on either side 
and, for the most part, are located in thick groves 
of eucalyptus trees. These towns and villages, 
in general very similar in appearance, are strag- 
gling collections of adobe farmhouses and out- 
buildings with tile roofs which cluster around more 
compact community centers. The cities of Jauja 
and Huancayo, located one at each end of the 
valley, serve as the principal market centers as 
well as important communication hubs. 
HUANCAYO TO HUANCAVELICA AND 
CASTROVIRREINA 
Leaving Huancayo for Huancavelica and Cas- 
trovureina, the narrow-gage railway travels 
through the flat, rolling farm country of the south- 
ern Jauja Valley. The land is under intensive 
cultivation, and the track passes many small vil- 
lages and groups of scattered farmhouses, most of 
which are adobe buildings with red-tiled roofs. 
Some 15 miles southeast of Huancayo the Jauja 
Valley comes to an abrupt end, and the railway 
enters the steep, rocky gorge of the Mantaro 
River. Since the canyon walls descend abruptly 
to the river, houses and farms are infrequent, 
although there are small patches of maize wherever 
the terrain permits. The river flows rapidly, 
and boils over large boulders as it winds between 
precipitous banks. The canyon walls, covered 
with small green shrubs, tower overhead. Con- 
tinuing down the Mantaro Canyon the railway 
passes the little town of Izcuchaca and its ancient 
Spanish stone bridge which spans the deep, nar- 
row gorge with a single arch (pl. 1,d). At La 
Mejorada the line curves almost due south up a 
tributary of the Mantaro, the Huancavelica 
River. Similar to the Mantaro gorge, although 
narrower, the canyon walls are equally abrupt 
and houses are few. Wherever the ground is 
sufficiently level there are small patches of maize, 
while barley is planted up the steep slopes of the 
canyon walls. The sides of the gorge are green, 
and here and there are stands of eucalyptus and 
peppertrees. Climbing sharply, the railway passes 
Acoria, a small town of tile-roofed adobe houses 
which straggle from the track down the sheer 
slope of the hillside to the river’s edge. 
As the railway climbs from Acoria, the popula- 
tion becomes even more sparse, trees become less 
frequent, and cultivation decreases, barley and 
habas (broadbeans) becoming the principal crops. 
At Yauli many of the houses have the thatched 
roofs which are typical of the puna zone, and the 
Indians, dressed in homespun and wearing knitted 
caps and stockings and hide slipper-sandals, line 
the station platform. As the train continues to 
climb into the punas, agriculture virtually dis- 
appears except for scattered patches of potatoes. 
The few scattered house groups consist of the 
thatched field-stone huts of shepherds. Large 
herds of llamas, alpacas, and sheep graze on the 
barren hillsides amid clumps of coarse grass and 
patches of moss and lichens. Abruptly the hills 
close in together, steep barren mountains tower 
on each side, and the track curves around the 
valley and into Huancavelica. 
Continuing the trip to Castrovirreina by truck, 
the road climbs up the steep, rugged canyon of the 
Huancavelica River; whereas before, cultivation 
had consisted solely of small potato patches ex- 
tending up the mountain sides, here agriculture 
has ceased altogether. Aside from small stands 
of stunted quinual trees, vegetation consists solely 
of mosses and ichu grass. Some 19 miles from 
Huancavelica the flanking mountains diminish in 
size and the road emerges onto rolling, barren 
altiplano country (pl. 2, c). Lichens grow on the 
rugged outcrops of rock, and jagged snow-capped 
peaks rise along the horizon on each side. The 
high plain is bitterly cold, and virtually unpopu- 
lated except for occasional small clusters of 
thatched shepherds’ huts. Large flocks of llamas. 
