Abstract
This article is concerned with the history of restoration work carried out over the last 40 years or so in the Inca site of Ollantaytambo, in the Cuzco region of Peru. The information gathered comes mainly from interviews conducted with professionals relevant to the study, as well as from archival work. Rather than dwelling on the appropriateness or not of the technical solutions implemented, from the point of view of international standards and expectations, the focus lies on the underlying reasons that have driven changes in the site´s physical appearance. Factors like restoration principles at work during the various interventions, the role of photography and visibility, the delicate relationship between tangible and intangible heritage, and the influence of tourism in an area visually inspired by the powerful imaginaries of Machu Picchu are explored. Some of the problems identified are associated with processes of puesta en valor, monumentalism, the influence of foreign models, and the role of architect-restorers. It will be argued that the site´s restoration history is problematic in ways that invite critical reassessment and engagement with current international debates on conservation and restoration concepts and practices, like authenticity.
Highlights
This article examines restoration practices carried out in the Inca archaeological site of Ollantaytambo, nearby Machu Picchu, in the Department of Cuzco, Peru. It argues that restoration work encouraged by processes of puesta en valor of the archaeological heritage and promoted by the tourist industry has been problematic in ways that invite critical reassessment and engagement with current international debates on conservation and restoration understandings and practices
Most of the information for the paper is drawn from ethnographic, semi-structured interviews the author, a long-term resident in Cuzco, conducted in Ollantaytambo and Cuzco with professionals involved in the restoration works, as well as from his own observations of the site during four weeks of fieldwork between May and June 2018
Conventions in the Andes through the puesta en valor of the archaeological heritage contained within the so-called Cusco-Puno corridor, a geographical and cultural axis that linked together these two important southern Peruvian cities. Both conventions targeted the generation of economic income through tourism
Summary
This article examines restoration practices carried out in the Inca archaeological site of Ollantaytambo, nearby Machu Picchu, in the Department of Cuzco, Peru. It argues that restoration work encouraged by processes of puesta en valor (enhancement) of the archaeological heritage and promoted by the tourist industry has been problematic in ways that invite critical reassessment and engagement with current international debates on conservation and restoration understandings and practices. The article engages long-standing, ongoing controversial debates about the nature and scope of this practice worldwide, within a broader international normative framework of conservation of ruins and historical monuments that is becoming increasingly challenged Part of this literature involves a reassessment of restoration concepts and practices in historical perspective [1,2]. This fact, together with the nearby presence of Quechua-speaking communities that maintain traditional lifestyles, explains why Ollantaytambo is marketed by the tourist industry
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