UM museum exhibits focus on Peru society

ORONO – The Hudson Museum at the University of Maine will unveil two exhibits this spring. The exhibits, “Peru: From Village to Empire” and “Across the Andes: Travels in Peru, 1934” will continue through Sept. 2.

The museum, located in the Maine Center for the Arts, is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It is closed Mondays and holidays.

“Peru: From Village to Empire” traces the development of Peruvian society from the Paleo-Indian camps of 13,000 years ago through the Inca Empire and the Spanish Conquest of 1572. It features more than 45 objects, including ceramics, textiles and metalwork, as well as graphic material such as maps, photographs and drawings.

The exhibit begins with a snapshot of the Inca Empire, just before contact with the Spanish. It traces the origins of the empire, examining the cultures of seven civilizations and including eight archaeological sites, such as Sipan and Chan Chan.

The exhibit culminates with the collision between the Inca and Spanish empires, examining how and why the Spanish conquered the Inca and the impact of that conquest. Divergences and convergences between prehistoric and modern indigenous cultures are explored, focusing on the cultural exchanges that have occurred between the Old World and New World.

“Across the Andes: Travels in Peru, 1934” is a photographic exhibition by Cornelius Van S. Roosevelt and Richard J. Cross. In 1934, Roosevelt and Cross accompanied noted Peruvian archaeologist Dr. Julio Tello on an expedition to explore pre-Hispanic sites.