ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES IN LIMA
AND THEIR INHERITORS:
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF
HUACAS IN LIMA
Samuel Cárdenas Meijers
Abstract
This article takes a look into the current heritage management of archaeological sites in the Peruvian capital Lima while focusing on community engagement. Furthermore, it examines how these archaeological
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urban area in which they are situated. Archaeological sites can have three functions for the local comPXQLW\ZKLFKFDQEHEHQHÀWHGQDPHO\FXOWXUDOHGXFDWLRQDODQGRIHQWHUWDLQPHQW7KHHQJDJHPHQWRIWKH
local community can eventually result in the preservation of a site and the development of the community.
In this view, they can take three roles in the management of archaeological sites, namely managers, users,
and preservers. This article contributes to the understanding of how archaeological sites, which are situated in an urban area, can be valorised. Furthermore, it shows which efforts can be made to engage a local
community with their archaeological heritage. And last, it gives an example of how local communities can
participate in the management of archaeological sites.
Keywords
Civil initiatives, Community programs, Cultural centres, Social change, Preservation of sites
E-mail address: [email protected]
LinkedIn: nl.linkedin.com/pub/samuel-cardenas-meijers/94/19b/180
I
ntroduction
The metropolitan area of Lima in Peru has a
population of approximately 9,8 million inhabitants, who are living in 49 districts that are spread
over three river valleys, the Chillón, Rímac, and
Lurín (Chirinos Cubillas 2013, 42; http://proyectos.
inei.gob.pe). Around 447 archaeological sites are
incorporated in this urban area which include structures of which their datings go back for over 4000
years (Lizarzaburu 2015). Nowadays, the Peruvian population refers to these archaeological sites
as huacas (Chirinos Cubillas 2013, 42). The term
huaca derives from the words Waqa (in Quechua)
and Wak’a (in Aymara)¹ , and was used in pre-CoOXPELDQWLPHVWRGHÀQHVDFUHGQHVV 5RVWZRURZVNL
1983 in Astvaldsson 2004, 3). The majority of the
huacas that are situated in Lima were built, used,
and/or reused by the pre-Columbian cultures, Lima
(A.D. 200-700), Wari (A.D. 550-1000), and Ychsma (A.D. 900-1534) (Chirinos Cubillas 2013, 42;
p.6 | VOL I | INTER-SECTION | 2015
Flores Espinoza 2012, 19-20). Additionally, there
are examples of huacas from earlier periods, such
as Huaca el Paraíso (4000 years old) and Garagay
(3500 years old) (Ravines 1985, 24; Stanish 2001,
46).
Although the 447 monumental structures
from the metropolitan area of Lima have an irreplaceable value for the history of this area, they
are being used as latrines, waste dumps, smoking
areas for drug addicts, and even as mountain bike
tracks (García Bendezú 2014). According to a report of 2013, nearly 60 percent of the huacas was in
danger of being invaded or destructed (Fernández
Calvo 2013). In order to preserve them, a ‘cultural
centre approach’ seems to have great potential. By
applying it, the cultural, educational, and entertaining functions of a huaca DUHEHQHÀWHG,QDGGLWLRQ
the surrounding community can take several roles
in its management, including ‘managers’, ‘users’,