THE 3 MOST IMPORTANT SOURCES OF PERUVIAN HISTORY - HISTORY - 2025

The main sources of the history of Peru are the material sources, written sources and oral sources. Since the development of pre-Columbian civilizations, Peruvian culture has stood out for its high historical content.

The testimony of this is given by the historical sources that verify, either through oral traditions, reviews by historians or physical evidence, the events that have arisen throughout the history of Peru.

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Next, mention will be made of the main historical sources of Peru:

Material Sources

This type of source includes tangible remains of the life and work of the exponents of Peruvian history.

It is mostly reflected in archaeological remains and even in relics such as ceramic pieces, cloths or cloth mantles and other utensils used in the daily life of pre-Columbian cultures.

Among the most impressive archaeological evidences, the remains of the citadel of Machu Picchu stand out.

They also highlight the archaeological complex of Pisac, Sacsayhuaman, the Nazca lines, Ollantaytambo, the adobe city of Chan Chan and the Cahuachi ceremonial center.

Written sources

These are direct sources of information provided in their own hand by the historians of the time.

Among the main chroniclers of Peru is the Jesuit father José de Acosta, with his work "Natural and moral history of the Incas", published in Salamanca, Spain, in the middle of the year 1589.

This manuscript is a faithful testimony of the experiences of Acosta's father in Peruvian lands, during the expeditions carried out between 1572 and 1586.

There he sagaciously reviews the indigenous customs, beliefs and rituals of the Peruvian natives.

Likewise, the Spanish Pedro Cieza de León leaves an important legacy as a chronicler of the new world with his work entitled “Crónicas del Perú”, written between 1540 and 1550.

Cieza de León tells the most detailed testimonies about pre-Inca civilizations, from the ruins inspected in expeditions sponsored by the Spanish politician Pedro de la Gasca.

One of the most prominent writers on the Peruvian cultural heritage is, without a doubt, the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.

Garcilaso de la Vega was the son of the Spanish captain Sebastián Garcilaso de la Vega and the Inca princess Isabel Chimpu Ocllo, granddaughter of Túpac Yupanqui, the tenth sovereign of the Inca empire.

Due to his origins, de la Vega obtained first-hand information about Inca traditions and cultures, and he dedicated much of his life to documenting this important legacy.

Oral Sources

Oral sources are those based on word of mouth, which have transcended generations from time immemorial.

The culture of Peru is, in essence, mythical and legendary. The origins of the Tahuantinsuyo have been established based on the presence of leaders with characteristics of demi-gods.

This is the case of the legend of the Ayar brothers, who make a divine presence on the Pacaritambo mountain, designated by the god Inti (god of the sun), to civilize the place and establish a new civilization.

In turn, this story supports the legend of Manco Capác and Mama Ocllo. Manco Capác was the only one of the Ayar brothers who ended the crusade to fertile soils in the Cuzco Valley, together with his wife Mama Ocllo, and managed to found the capital of the Inca empire there.

In the same vein, mythical stories such as the legend of Naylamp and the legend of Tacaynamo, for example, still remain in the Peruvian collective imagination.

References

1. Garcilaso de la Vega (2014). Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. London, UK. Recovered from: britannica.com
2. Gonzáles, A. (2010). Source for the study of the Incas. Recovered from: historiacultural.com
3. Gonzáles, A. (2010). Legend of Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo. Recovered from: historiacultural.com
4. Pedro Cieza de León (2010). Bank of the Republic. Bogota Colombia. Recovered from: banrepcultural.org
5. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (2017). José de Acosta. Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org.