The British Museum's exhibition on the ancient Andean civilization reveals new insights into their views on time, society and war

The landmark exhibition "Peru: A Journey in Time" at the British Museum has been in the making for ten years, enabling the museum to put its collections first and display them together with the Peruvian treasures it saw for the first time in the UK. Its opening coincided with the 200th anniversary of Peru’s declaration of independence from Spain, and the United Kingdom was one of the first countries to recognize the sovereignty of this new country. However, for Western audiences, this chronological simplicity is almost the only familiar aspect of the show, which constantly challenges the most basic concepts of how the world works and how the world can and should live. These challenges are challenges to the concept of time itself.

The subtitle of the exhibition is both a plain description of the chronological examination of many different cultures over 3,500 years, and an introduction to how to experience Andean time. “We usually think that we are in the present, the past is over, and the future is ahead of us,” explains its co-curator Jago Cooper. "In Andean society, the past, present, and future are parallel lines that happen at the same time. So the past is not dead, it happens at the same time as the present, so it can be changed. Only by accepting the interrelationship between the past and the present can you be the best. Plan for the future."

Other points of divergence in ancient (pre-Columbus) Peru include the lack of a writing tradition based on text or a currency exchange system.

"There are also extremely diverse environments," Cooper's curator Cecilia Pardo explains. "Negotiating life on the Pacific coast, arid deserts, high Andes, or tropical rainforests requires highly complex and sustainable innovations and technologies that enable society to succeed in unique ways." The evidence for this success comes from A variety of stunning handicrafts on display: from well-preserved textiles (some of which are more than 2,000 years old), to wood carvings that bring new highlights to ritual killings, extensive ceramic collections and intricate uses of precious metals.

Since the economic foundation of society does not depend on arbitrary valuation of currency, the reciprocal obligation system has largely promoted progress and production. "People have an obligation to maintain and maintain each other and the world around them," Cooper said. "This has a profound impact on the way resources are managed and the way things are made. Textiles and other small items are made collectively, but large buildings are also collectively built voluntarily, rather than by slave labor like the rest of the world."

If there is no written culture, the object itself becomes more important as a carrier of cultural knowledge, ideas and beliefs. Many of the works in the exhibition have survived because they are funeral sacrifices kept in sealed tombs, and they reveal belief systems and practices. But, as Cooper reminds us, the core of the show is to recognize that this is a culture that was vibrant in the past and created only in the present.

Pardo added that there is still a lot to learn: “Peru may have less than 10% of the potential sites unearthed. Peruvian and foreign archaeologists are doing more excavations to study different aspects of this long story. This exhibition provides A wonderful snapshot that has been discovered and what we know now, but the curator is both humble and excited about what the future may bring. The extraordinary history of these cultures is still being created."

This funerary blanket is one of the oldest handicrafts in the exhibition. The Nazca people traditionally bury the dead in a sitting position and wrap them with cloth. The repeated characters wear cat masks, carry human heads, and are embroidered on cloth. They may be representative of the ancestors who took care of the dead in the afterlife. The funeral took place in the arid desert of southern Peru. Due to the lack of humidity, this textile can survive for nearly 2,000 years.

Wood carvings found on an island off the coast of Peru are preserved in layers of guano. It depicts a senior figure who is bound by ropes before performing the ritual. There were relatively few wars in ancient Peru, but more ritualized confrontations-leading to bloodshed that was far lower than the European conflicts of that era. These will end in capture and public execution of representatives of the defeated side. These deaths abnormally respect the importance of human life, rather than the general slaughter on the battlefield, and are usually recorded in public murals.

A container for men and women to mate (above)

This ceramic stirrup pot depicts a couple having sex-her tattoo shows that it was made at the end of the Nazca period and was completed in 800 AD-the efficiency of carrying liquid is very inefficient and not suitable for daily use. Rather, it is a funeral offering, usually found in different forms in the tomb. The corpse and the stirrup spout are located at different locations, indicating that it was vandalized deliberately during a ceremony before the tomb was closed. It wasn't until after 400 AD that the depiction of women in ceramics began, which usually indicates that it is related to fertility.

A decorative board, about 1,000 years old, is more than 10 cm in length. This will be connected through the earlobe via a large spool and worn as shown in the picture. It is made of wood, metal, mother-of-pearl and other precious shells. The exquisiteness of the mosaic work and the diversity of the materials used indicate that it is the product of a complex and affluent society. The red material spondylus is a spiny bivalve, known as the spiny oyster. It is particularly valued. In addition to being used for decorative purposes, it can also be ground into powder and sprinkled on the ground to create a VIP-like Red carpet stuff.

Peru: Journey in Time will be exhibited at the British Museum WC1 on February 20