For our preparation day we went to the National Archeological, Anthropological and Historical Museum.  It was impressive and we really enjoyed learning more about the ancient America inhabitants of Peru.  So much to see and think about.

We were struck by their sophisticated and intricate textile and fabric methodology.  They were and are fabulous weavers, knitters, etc.

Some of the most intricate pieces of pottery were made by the ancient people of the Americas.  It's truly amazing to observe all the artistry and handiwork of these pottery pieces.  We wish we could show them all!

Most of the royal families and rulers were mummified after their death.  These people were buried in deep holes below the ground to preserve their remains.  They were shrouded in several layers of woven fabric, sometimes up to 8 to 10 pieces, and then placed into the deep graves.  The last two pictures show a cutaway of the person inside and all the layers of fabric to cover her up, and what the final burial bundle looked like before being buried.

We know they were great goldsmiths and many of their works depicted different types of Gods and Goddesses from their animal and physical world.

They were also great sculptors as depicted by the following pictures.  All their cities, religious locations and ceremonial places were made out of stone.

They were pretty good surgeons also.  Trepanation was a very common type of surgery due to all the head wounds in battles.  They also were really good at shrinking heads.  These two look like brothers!