Lucy C. Salazar

The Machu Picchu Solution: A New Approach to Cultural Patrimony Disputes

The dispute over the Bingham collections from Machu Picchu was resolved by formal agreements by Yale University with the Peruvian government and with the University of Cuzco (UNSAAC) bringing to an end nearly a decade of discord. At the core of the agreements was an attitude of mutual respect and appreciation between the three parties, with the Peruvian government and our colleagues at UNSAAC acknowledging the historic importance of Bingham’s investigations and of Yale’s role in conserving and investigating the collections for nearly a century. At the same time, Yale University recognized the unique importance of the Machu Picchu site for the people of Cuzco and the Peruvian nation, and the need to return the collections to Cuzco and recognize Peru’s ownership. The agreements are built on the shared commitment to displaying these collections to the public, preserving them with adequate security and conservation, and guaranteeing that they remain accessible to researchers. The return, display, and conservation of the Machu Picchu collections are treated in the agreements within a broader framework that involves scientific investigation, student and faculty exchange, and other long-term educational and scholarly collaborations between Yale and UNSAAC. Thus, the solution to the dispute enriches both universities, providing new opportunities and resources for everyone concerned.

Flor de Mayo, Moyobamba, Peru; a formative u-shaped center in the Peruvian ceja de selva?

Abstract This article considers an anomalous site with impressive stone masonry located near the town of Moyobamba in the Peruvian ceja de selva. The hypothesis that this site corresponds to an Initial Period or Early Horizon ceja de selva U-shaped complex related to Chavín de Huantar and other coeval centers on the coast and in the highlands is evaluated and rejected. Archaeological and historical evidence is presented which suggests that the site was probably the result of the Inca efforts to incorporate the ceja de selva. If so, it would be one of the easternmost archaeological examples of these imperial efforts in what is now northern Peru.