Trepanation has been carried out both for medical and mystical reasons , and practice have evidence from the Neolithic era, as trepanned skulls have been discovered. It is believed, paintings found in caves, Neolithic man thought that this type of surgery could cure epilepsy, migraine and mental disorders. In ancient Greece, Hippocrates explained the procedure for performing a trepanation. This is also practiced in Paracas (Peru), where at the end of the operation is placed a sheet of gold for the closure of the wound.In the same way it was practiced by the Inca civilization in order to remove bone fragments or weapons, which were embedded in his skull after an accident or warfare. One of the instruments used in surgery Inca was the “Tumi” or knife-shaped metal “T”.As anesthesia is used coca and chicha in large quantities and are known to also know the use of bandages.

Paracas Trephinations
Paracas skull trepanation was drilled skillfully obsidian tipped part of cranial bone, which was later covered by a sheet of gold or other metal.
This practice of trepanation in Paracas is more extensive and perfect than anywhere else in the world;  A delicate Trephinations was becoming, because any slip of the obsidian knife blade had reached his brain matter, causing irreparable damage or perhaps death itself. But the sure hand of the surgeon wielding the knife with expertise, achieving the necessary penetration into the bone cortex, without affecting the brain.
Anesthetics should play an important role at this point, chicha macerated or San Pedro (powerful hallucinogen), were used to numb the patient.

Then, always taking care to avoid infection, the wound was closed and sutured, the scalp back into place and surgery was completed.
Its merit lies in having made “in vivo” , this man is alive, and not “post mortem”, dead, but the greater glory of trepanation of Paracas is that the patient survived the operation.

The Tumi, the symbol of Peru
One of the main surgical instruments used was the “tumi”, knife made from a mixture of copper called “champi”, and we now consider as a symbol of Peruvian Medicine.
Archaeological specimens known are those from archaeological sites in the north coast of Peru, especially in the period Lambayeque (700-1300 AD) also called Sicán.
An odd use of Tumi is the one that gives the Medical College of Peru adopted as its symbol. The Tumi was used for cranial trepanation, in addition to using human slaughter ritual sacrifices, and that part of his history as a medical device of the ancient Peruvians is yet another source of pride.

Unfortunately the Spanish colonization dismembers Inca civilization lost much of their culture and in line with the trend of the times will be avoided from now on until late in the nineteenth century practices associated with the trepanation or any similar procedure for believing them ”acts of witchcraft.”

Source: perutoptours, lahistoriaperuana, Wikipedia, interactivos, rneurocirugia, peruinka

Luego, siempre cuidando de evitar la infección, la herida era cerrada y suturada, el cuero cabelludo volvía a su lugar y la intervención quirúrgica quedaba concluida.
Su mérito radica en haberse efectuado “in vivo”, esto es en hombre con vida, y no “post mortem”, en cadáver; pero la mayor gloria de la trepanación de Paracas es que el paciente sobrevivió a la operación.

El Tumi, símbolo del Peru
Uno de los principales instrumentos quirúrgicos que emplearon fué el “tumi”, cuchillo hecho de una mezcla de cobre llamado champi; y que hoy consideramos como símbolo de la Medicina Peruana.
Los ejemplares arqueológicos más conocidos son los que proceden de sitios arqueológicos de la costa norte peruana, especialmente los del período lambayeque (700-1300 d.C.) también llamado Sicán.
Un uso curioso del Tumi es el que le da el Colegio Médico del Perú adoptándolo como símbolo. Como se sabe el Tumi se usaba para las trepanaciones craneanas, además del uso ritual para degollar humanos en los sacrificios, y esa parte de su historia como instrumento médico de los antiguos peruanos es ahora otro motivo de orgullo.

Lamentablemente  la colonización española desmiembra a la civilización Inca perdiéndose gran parte de su cultura y de acuerdo con la tendencia de la época se evitarán de aquí en adelante hasta ya entrados en el siglo diecinueve las prácticas relacionadas con las trepanaciones o cualquier otro procedimiento similar por creerlos “actos de brujería”.

Fuente: perutoptours, lahistoriaperuana, Wikipedia, interactivos, rneurocirugia, peruinka

La agencia Andina informó que el descubrimiento fue dado a conocer por el investigador y fotógrafo, natural de Chachapoyas, Martín Chumbe, quien exploró la zona junto con el alcalde de San Juan de Lopecancha, Segundo Bazán Aguirre, quien es dueño de la referida propiedad.

Chumbe explicó que el complejo arqueológico está enclavado en una enmarañada montaña y tiene una extensión de más de dos hectáreas. Aseguró que allí se pueden observar más de 150 casas circulares en buen estado de conservación.

“Todas las casas tienen ventanas rectangulares, hornacinas y frisos en todas sus circunferencias. Además, están edificadas encima de grandes terrazas y hay impresionantes muros de 50 metros de largo por tres metros de altura. El complejo está en buen estado de conservación” señaló.

Atumpucro se podría convertir en un nuevo circuito turístico amazónico, debido a que está ubicado entre los mausoleos de Revash (localidad de Santo Tomás) y el complejo arqueológico de Kuélap (localidad de El Tingo). Además, desde las montañas de Atumpucro, también se puede observar el valle del “río Utcubamba” y gran parte del distrito de Jalca Grande.

Fuente:  ‘peru21.pe’

Ayer, en nuestra plaza de armas de cusco se llevó a cabo la festividad del Corpus Christi, donde nuestro Arzobispo Monseñor Juan Antonio Ugarte Pérez, dirigió esta gran fiesta en honor al Cuerpo de Cristo.

En esta fiesta se dieron cita nuestros santos, que llegaron desde sus diferentes parroquias, todos ellos traídos en procesión por sus fieles seguidores, quienes con sus respectivos mayordomos, y danzas hicieron su entrada a el atrio principal. Es así que tuvimos la presencia de los santos: San Antonio Abad, San Jerónimo, San Cristóbal, San Sebastián, Santa Barbará, Santa Ana, San Blas, Santiago Apóstol, San Pedro, San José, la Virgen de la Almudena, la Virgen de los Remedios, la Virgen Purificada, la Virgen de Belén, y la Virgen Inmaculada Concepción.

Una vez, concluida esta santa eucaristía, nuestros santos regresaron a sus respectivas parroquias quienes esperaran hasta el próximo Corpus Christi, para volver a reunirse en esta importante festividad cusqueña.

En esta fiesta no falto este riquísimo plato tradicional del Corpus Christi, sin duda alguna estamos hablando del Chiri Uchu, que en nuestro idioma mater (Quechua) significa Ají Frio; nuestra ciudad degusto, pero no solo ellos, también se unieron los infaltables Turistas, quienes quedaron encantados por esta festividad, como por nuestro delicioso Chiri Uchu.

Las Festividades de nuestra majestuosa ciudad Imperial están empezando. Aun estas a tiempo de ser partícipe, y conocer a esta cultura milenaria, todo esto en el Cusco (que en idioma Incaico o Quechua significa el “OMBLIGO DEL MUNDO”)

Te estamos esperando…

Coca Leaves

Colorfully-dressed Incas greet us with cups of hot tea as we enter the airport terminal. “¡Bienvenidos a Cusco!” A delightful welcome to the two-mile high Andean city, but the tea also serves an important purpose—the prevention of altitude sickness.

The tea we are offered at the airport, and again in our hotel lobby, is mate de coca—brewed from leaves of the coca plant. Coca is best known to North Americans as the source of the drug cocaine, which is actually a highly processed derivative of the coca leaves. Because of its association with the drug, coca is banned in the U.S.

In the Andes, where it is legal, coca is an age-old tonic and a remedy for many ailments. It enhances mood, without dependency or toxicity; is a natural energizer, similar to coffee; is rich in vitamins and minerals; relieves dizziness, headaches and stomach problems; and aids in weight loss and child-birth.

Coca leaves can be chewed, brewed, smoked, or made into candy and baked goods. Shamans in the Andes smoke it for “magical” purposes—to enter the spirit world and to prognosticate the future in the tea leaves.

Coca Sale

In the Incan empire, coca was considered to be very special, sometimes magical, and its use was controlled. After the conquest, the Catholic Church tried to forbid it, because of its ties to the old religion, but they found that in the high altitude without the coca, the natives had trouble working the fields and mining the gold, so the church itself cultivated the plants and distributed the leaves to the workers.

The world’s most popular coca product is Coca Cola™. Made from the extract of coca leaves mixed with kola nuts, it was created in 1885, and sold as a tonic. Coca Cola™ did contain cocaine (commonly used in 19th century patent medicines) until 1929! When it became known that cocaine was potentially harmful, the company had a problem. If it removed the coca from its recipe, could it still call its product Coca Cola™? On the other hand, if it did not remove the cocaine, there could be a boycott of the drink. Their solution was to devise an extraction process in which the coca leaves were ground, mixed with sawdust, soaked in bicarbonate of soda, percolated with toluene, and steam blasted. The result was then mixed with powdered kola nuts and pasteurized—preserving the taste while eliminating the drug effects. Pepsi™, by the way, does not use coca leaves in its recipe!

Today there are opponents and supporters of coca, but for visitors to Peru and other Andean countries, the tasty coca tea is a harmless antidote to the ills of altitude.

Potatoes

What is your first thought when you hear the word “empire?” The Roman Empire? The British Empire, on which the sun never sets? “Star Wars?”

At the time Europeans arrived in South America the Incas had the largest empire in the world, covering as much territory as had the Romans, five centuries earlier. From Ecuador to the center of Chile, the dominion of the Incas stretched almost 3,400 miles.

Like the Romans, the Incas had an extensive network of highways. Although they never developed the wheel, the Incas built 25,000 miles of roads. These highways, many of which were stone-paved and up to 24 feet wide, carried couriers, armies and cargo-laden llamas throughout the sprawling territories. Their use was restricted to those on official government business.

Chips

At the peak of the empire, the Incas ruled almost 12 million people who belonged to a hundred different ethnic groups.

Just as the Romans introduced Latin as the common language of their empire, so the Incas made Quechua their official language. Quechua is still spoken throughout the Andes today.

Besides their skills at building, the Incas were masters of agriculture, terracing their rugged mountains and breeding wild plants into strains which would grow in the dry, high altitudes. One of the results of this was the potato. Just think, without the Incas we would have no French-fries, baked potatoes, potato salad, potato chips, and probably much less cholesterol.

To insure a constant supply of food to all of their subjects, the Incas built thousands of storage sites and developed methods to preserve food. Freeze-drying today is accomplished with equipment developed for the space program, but the Incas achieved the same result by utilizing the harsh weather of the Andes. Potatoes were left outside at night to freeze. In the daytime, the hot sun evaporated the moisture, resulting in a freeze-dried potato pulp called chuño. The same process was used to preserve beef. They called the dried beef charqui, a Quechua word we still use today, only we spell it “jerky.”

For those who like Ceviche, seafood “cooked” by citric acid, they can also thank the Incas for this culinary invention.

To preserve corn, Inca farmers dried it for storage. When heat was applied to the dried corn the result was—you guessed it, popcorn! Five hundred years before the invention of the movie theater, the Incas were munching on crispy popcorn and getting the kernels caught in their teeth.