Give Me That Old Time (Incan) Religion

    Today we visited numerous ruins of the Incas, with a special emphasis on ones with a religious purpose. Our first major stop was at the archaeological site of Ollantaytambo. Its primary function was as an observation post for the Incas of the position of the sun. Important This is far more modern than many people would believe. Without access to weather satellites and other modern technologies, the height of the sun in the sky is key in predicting upcoming weather, marking the beginning and ending of seasons, and determining the best time for harvests. The position of the sun was charted alongside mountains next to the temple; since their position and size did not change radically over the generations, mountains made an excellent reference point for the astronomers and priests of the temple. The temples also catered to pilgrims and worshippers from throughout the empire; for example, small holes in the wall were prayed into, and amplified the voice of the worshippers in a dramatic fashion.
     After lunch, we headed to the Church of Chinchero, one of the oldest Catholic churches in Peru. Founded During the 1650s, it was used by the Spanish to the Incas convert to Christianity and to spread the notion of European dominance across the land. However, They failed to accomplish Both of These tasks in several ways. For one thing, Incan religious beliefs made their way into the church - the building itself is on top of an ancient Incan temple, while the art of the building Incorporates symbols of the Inca with symbols of Christianity. Additionally, several Important figures from the New Testament (including Jesus, Mary, and Joseph) are Portrayed With Indian physical traits and carrying out Andean traditions. 
     The functionality of the old Incan temples highlights why the Incan empire spread as far as it did. Its institutions in government and society provided an amazing array of services for the empire's subjects, and allowed the Incas to maximize their economic productivity and prosperity. Chinchero's church highlighted the attempts of the Spanish to impose their culture on Peru, and the ways that the Peruvians resisted. However, the rebellions of the Indians simultaneously preserved Incan traditions and made the church more attractive to the Indians due to its familiarity. I suspect that tomorrow's tour in Machu Pichu will reflect more themes of the former rather than the latter, since it was never occupied by the Spanish. However, I suspect that some Catholic themes have made their way to the site given how thoroughly connected it is with Peru currently.