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Death Practices in Peru
The country of Peru is, like much of South America, a land of extremes, with the towering Andes to the west, and Amazonia — an area where dense cloud-covered forests […]
The country of Peru is, like much of South America, a land of extremes, with the towering Andes to the west, and Amazonia — an area where dense cloud-covered forests and the jungles of the Amazon Basin meet — to the east.
Like Bolivians, the people of Peru are about 60% mestizo and 20% Quechua, descendants of the region’s indigenous tribes. Once dominated by the Inca empire, the country was colonized by Spain in the early 1500s, and much of its traditional culture disappeared. Today, about 70% Peruvians live in modern urban areas, where most of the country’s wealth resides. Nonetheless, much of the country’s ancient customs and traditions, including those around death and mourning, still survive.
Read more about some Peruvian beliefs around death, mourning and remembrance below
- Deep in the Amazon Jungle, the Matsigenka People of Peru Live in Fear of Were-Jaguars Who Embody the Spirits of the Dead
- High in the Andes, an Ancient Tomb Is Believed to Contain the Remains of a Royal Member of the Wari Tribe of Peru
- The Now-Extinct Chinchorro People of Peru Practiced Mummification Long Before the Egyptians
- Deep in the Peruvian Jungle, Westerners Seek Healing With a Psychedelic Plant Known as Ayahuasca
