The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-03-23

fruits. In old days maize and cotton were extern
svely cultivated here and in many of the earliest
graves seed pods OF cotton have been found. 1t
still grows easily in soil surprisingly rich when
irrigated. nearby hacienda, apparently con-
tanning the most extensive of the ancient burial
places, is chiefly devoted to the fluffy bolls and
brown stalks of this plant.
The most scholarly and reliable authority
upon Pachacamac history is undoubtedly DR..
Max Uhle, now head of the new National mu-
scum at Lima To him is due elucidation of
many puzzling anachronisms in this rich region,
and 1t was our good fortune to be accompanied
on this trip by Doctor Uhle-to whom every wall
and angle and brick has absolute significance
The name of the creator god, as applied to
sanctuary, town and river, came into only
about ITO years before the Spanish conquest. No
older name has yet been found.
Burial places always bring rich returns to
those who can interpret their annals. Here is
an enormous number of graves, not less than
$4,000 to $4,000, among them a few stall-like
cells, much cruder and earlier than the majority.
Graves are found in the open in houses, in tenn
pes most of which have, years ago, been rifed
for the gold, silver and gems supposed to be in
tered with the dead.
Previous to the Inca conquest probably at
least two civilizations met a Pachacamac-the
culture of the highlands and the newer customs
of the coast After cemetery had been used
for long time the temple destroyed; even
the sort of civilization itself changed. A
third epoch shows cultural decline, inferior
but supplanting despite the general advance Of
the world at large. The founding and growth
of the Inca empire one Of the last great
events of pre-Spanish centuries.
Although Pachacanac graves were SO rich in
articles from which the story of the past can
be read, larger outlines of life and custom may
be traced in the ruins of town and temples.
Approaching from the north one sees the con-
vent, still called by it's ancient name, Mamacona
("mothers," as applied to the nuns), and sub
iect of especial study by Doctor Uhle In the
land of the Incas celibate women were not un
common, and were generally attached to some
temple of the sun The mamacona was secluded
on three sides, the front only facing plain and
of these nuns lived here, and they were obliged
to pass through the inner and outer sanctuary
of Pachacamac to reach the sun temple
From the convent it is best to pass on to the
former, huge structure 400 feet long, 1870 wide
and covering two-thirds of an acre. Once there
were terraces on three sides, each 20 feet high.
but the sand has so blown in and over and about
them that they really discernible now upon
only one Its approaches are by five low and
narrow grades" slightly over three feet high
and six in length; the walls once covered with
polychrome frescoes, rich in color and extremely
ancient though traces of design still remain.
The top of the temple is large plateau, $40
feet by 130, 1t was at least once rebuilt before
the Inca period, and may date from about B. c.
1000; but 1t is not in any event. later than B. C.
1,1oo
The valley, and indeed the entire region. was
ruled by chief at Pachacamac who had the
right to enter the temple of the highest deity as