Cuzco: America's Ancient Mecca 



681 



TWELVE-SIDED STONE IN CUZCO, IN OED INCA WAEL 

 Note how. stones are fitted together without mortar (see page 675) 



for the Spaniards in the famous silver 

 mines of Potasi. The carved chairs and 

 chests, tapestries, and altar cloths recalled 

 to us the days when Cuzco was the seat 

 of Roman Catholic power, the proud 

 capital of the Colony. 



For many years following the conquest 

 it was the most important city in Peru. 

 Here lived the people of wealth and cul- 

 ture. The Spaniards, however, neglected 

 the roads built under Inca regime, and as 

 the highways fell into decay the difficul- 

 ties of the long journey across the moun- 

 tains to the coast increased. Gradually 

 Cuzco's power slipped away, and Lima 

 became the capital and pulse of the coun- 

 try, as it has ever since remained. Today 

 comparatively few Limanians visit the 

 southern highlands, and until the oncom- 



ing of the railroad Cuzco lay in a Rip 

 Van Winkle sleep. 



Overshadowing the Museum's relics 

 of early Spanish days are the Inca treas- 

 ures, which tell us of a people who left 

 no written history. Until the arrival of 

 priestly Spanish scholars, Quichua was 

 an unwritten language. We learn much 

 of the race, however, from the objects 

 found in the tombs, since their dearest 

 possessions were buried with them. 

 There are implements of the war and the 

 chase; quipus or fringes used in count- 

 ing ; prayer-sticks ; musical instruments 

 (reed-pipes, flutes, drums, bells, rattles, 

 and cymbals) ; gold, silver, and copper 

 ornaments; chumpe (copper and gold) 

 implements used in the quarries ; many 

 varieties of pottery, including immense 



