South America - Andean Highlands Machu Picchu is a breathtaking
ceremonial centre built c. A.D. 1500 by the Inka. In harmony
with the surrounding landscape, it is a testament to their
belief in the land being sacred. The Andes mountains, the
longest and second highest mountain chain in the world, form the
backbone of South America. At three different points in time,
three distinctive art styles (Chavín, Wari and Inka) swept over
much of the central Andes and influenced the artistic output of
peoples in neighbouring geographic regions, such as the coast.
In the highlands, the course of human adaptation to the
landscape was uniquely reflected in the creation of cloth and
clay objects. The theme of this section is landscapes, which are
the surroundings, both natural and built, that humans live
within. Choose a link below to explore the highland landscape.
Machu Picchu lies at the lower end of the Urubamba valley in a
spectacular setting between mountain peaks hundreds of meters
above the Urubamba River in the so