The central Andean peoples and their relationship to the sea

Summary

ABSTRACT. Whereas the Incas were from inland South America and had no maritime traditions, the Moche and Chincha civilizations drew great profit from the sea: by way of fishing, guano extraction, and shell trade. At the start of the 16^th century, the Spanish were astonished to discover their rafts constructed of balsa trunks, equipped with sails and rudders, and thus capable of traversing long distances.

RÉSUMÉ. Alors que les Incas, originaires de l'intérieur de l'Amérique du Sud, n'ont pas de traditions maritimes, les civilisations Moche et Chincha ont tiré grand profit de la mer : pêche, extraction du guano, commerce des coquillages, exploités par des radeaux constitués de troncs de balsa, équipés de voiles, d'un gouvernail et capables de parcourir de longues distances, à l'étonnement des Espagnols qui les ont découverts au début du XVI^e siècle.

The Andes are a chain of mountains which extend along the length of South America's western seaboard. Its central area served as the background to a series of cultures which flourished right up until the arrival of the first Europeans, which took place whilst the Inca were in power. The Inca represent the peak of cultural development in South America. For almost two centuries they ruled over a number of cultures in an area which comprises substantial parts of present day Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and Argentina. A number of these cultures had developed strong maritime traditions, which were the result of their longstanding relationship and links with the sea. The Incas on the other hand originated in the Cusco region, high in the Andes and were not natural seafarers.

In addition to fishing traditions, some of these cultures with maritime foundations exploited guano (bird excrement which served as a fertilizer) from islands off the coast of Peru; and undertook short- and long-range maritime trade. In many instances, these cultures and their successors retained a relationship with the sea, which remained almost intact and largely unchanged until the mid-19^th century, when the growing presence of European fishermen in these fishing communities, as well as competition and the use of more efficient vessels,affected.