South America is a landmass that is rife with interesting history, unique cultural practices, a wide variety of lifestyles and beautiful natural landscapes. One of the most interesting countries in South America for all of these things is Peru. Peru is located on the Pacific Coast of South America and is sandwiched between the ocean to its Western side, Ecuador and Colombia to its Northern side, Bolivia and Chile to its Southern side and Brazil to its Eastern side. Despite being in such proximity to many other countries, Peru is a land entirely of its own. The history here is rich with its Incan legacies and many heritage sites in the Andes Mountain range. If you want to learn more about the intriguing history of Peru, here are some great ways to do so.
Travel Through South America
One of the best ways to educate yourself on South American history is to book a ticket and go there! It may sound simple, but traveling throughout Peru and its nearby countries provides the perfect landscape for learning about the rich histories. For example, hopping aboard one of the Mexico cruises offers you the potential to see the sights of such beautiful land while also meeting the locals and discovering the past as it presents itself in the present.
Find Good Educational Videos
You can truly never go wrong with a well made educational video. Sites on the internet such as Youtube are sure to have documentaries and home movies that are sure to show you all of the sides of Peruvian history. You can also try and visit your local library to see if they have any educational movies or videos that are about Peru. Even if the topic is not directly related to history, you are sure to learn important bits of information about the country that are somewhat related to history. You also might see some interesting sides to Peruvian life in homemade videos on the internet which could truly place the timeline of history into a modern perspective making it all the more interesting!
See The Cultural Sites
There is no better way to absorb the history of Peru than by visiting the amazing and intricate cultural sites within the country. Beautiful sites such as Machu Picchu showcase the late stages of the Incan empire and the masterful stonework which the subjects were able to produce within the high and risky peaks of the Andes Mountains. Sites with massive dry stone masonry such as Sacsyahuaman shows anyone who wants to see just how impressive the Incans were in their building pursuits. There are also post-colonial sites of interest that showcase the brutality of colonialism within this country. Along your journey, you may even meet some of the indigenous people of Peru who speak their native language, Aymara.
Take a Class
You can either go online or do some searching and asking at your nearest college or university campus to see if anyone is teaching a course on South American history, or even better, Peruvian history specifically. There are some great experts in this field who study history, culture and even archaeology in the frame of Peru.
Find an Expert
Taking a class might get you to an expert on Peruvian history, but you may just have to strike out on your own and find an expert for yourself. Do some internet searching and send out some emails to professors or museum curators who have a specialty in anything Peru-related. You may get the chance to speak to them on the phone or they may recommend some other great resources!
Some people want to learn about Peru for their own interest, some learn for school purposes and others learn for the purpose of doing business in this country. No matter what your reason is for learning Peruvian history, you will not be sorry for diving into Peru’s wild cultural past. From the Norte Chico civilization to the Incas to the Spanish conquests, the history of Peru will keep you engaged and fascinated no matter how you choose to learn about it. Keep these tips in mind and enjoy learning some new things!
Photo by Sebastian Tapia Huerta on Unsplash
