Weekly Topics/Archive
May 2013
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I have watched the exhibition, the Inka Empire Revealed ； Century After
the Machu Picchu “Discovery”.
It introduces the latest achievements of research on the Inka Empire which
is the last country in ancient
Peru and its city, Machu Picchu.
Let me introduce you to a part of them.
The exhibition is at the Museum of Kyoto facing Sanjyo Street, which is
located 7 minute's walk from Karasuma-Oike Station on the Kyoto Municipal
Subway Line.
It's the first time I visit this museum.
The Museum of Kyoto
(Important Cultural properties) |
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The main entrance of
the Museum of Kyoto |
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The guide plate of the Museum
of Kyoto |
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This building was designed by Kingo Tatsuno who is considered one of the
forefather of modern
architecture in Japan and his pupil.
It was completed in the 39th year of the Meiji period (1906).
It had been used as the Kyoto branch of the Bank of Japan.
Kingo Tatuno is known as the designer of Tokyo Station.
It resembles somewhat Tokyo Station in appearance, doesn't it?
It has been 100 years since Machu Picche was discovered by a US historian
, I heard.
In commemoration of it, a full picture of the Inka Empire was introduced
with almost 160 cultural properties.
Let me introduce you to the most representative of those.
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A gold alloy
image of a person
(Male and female) |
An ancient Inka had
a technology for smelting gold and
gold alloys(alloy of
gold and silver or
copper or tin).
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This is essentially
a simple large sheet
of fabric with an opening in the
center
for the head.
Clothes had been actively producedby male textile workers across
the country
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Jar containing
alcohol and water.
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Inka people had
a thought of pair.
This was used to
exchange cups of
local alcohol in pairs
in the ceremony and
etc.
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The Incas had never acquired the art of writing, but they had developed an elaborate
system of knotted cords called “quipus”.
It is said quipus was mainly used to record the types and number of goods.
It is considered that it had also expressed a simple sentence.
But it still hsn't been decoded. |
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The right mummy was
set in the mummy's
clothing like this.
People could know
who was buried by the outline of the face
on the clothing.
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In Inka, there is a custom that people offer their
children in sacrifice to Solar
deity for development and prosperity of the Empire.
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This stone is at the Coricancha
in Cusco.
Even a razor blade can be let
into a gap between stones of
this stone arrangement.
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A portrait
of Don-Aronso-
Chiwan-Inca |
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A portrait of an ancestor
Don-Aronso--Chiwan-Inca
that aboriginal chief in
Cusco had drawn in the
18th century.
After the conquest by
Spain, many Inka's royal families lived in colonial-era Cusco.
They were granted
specialprivileges such as
tax exemption as an
aristocracy if they were
loyal to the King of Spain
and certified as the Inca's
descendant. |
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Hiram Bingham,
discoverer of Machu Picchu |
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H.Binghamwho was
anexplorer from the US
discovered the ruins of
Machu Picchu on a mountain when he explored an ancient Inka road in
this region.
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At the last corner of the exhibition, there is a 3D Sky View theater.
The video titled “Trip to Machu Picchu” was projected there.
I physically experienced 3D images of Machu Picchu with combination of video images by wide 3D
measurement and virtual reality.
We enjoyed viewing 3D images wearing special 3D glasses.
We were also able to see a condor flying in the sky.
Talking of ancient civilization, the four great civilizations of the world
are well-known.
You know, also in South America, there was a excellent aboriginal civilization
with
culture as mentioned above.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, it consisted of 80 ethnic groups and populations of 16 million mainly
around Cusco in Peru and extended territory from Colombia to middle Chile.
However, it was easily destroyed by the Spanish in the disturbance of civil war.
Looking back to the history of our Japan, it managed to clear a number of obstacles such as
the Mongol invasions of Japan (Genko) in the 13th century, the threat of colonialization by the European
powers from the end of Edo Period to the Japanese-Russo War and so on.
I thought it very strange that it achieved nationhood.
To the contrary, Japan invaded and attacked Asian countries in WWⅡand then
was defeated.
Today, being filled with such a deep emotion, I immersed myself in Inca
civilization including Machu
Picchu, a World Heritage Site for about 2 hours.
Photo ； May 23,2013
[Note] Inka Empire ; インカ帝国, Machu Picchu ；マチュピチュ, reveal ；公開する
ancient Peru；ペル－・アンデス文明,Museum of Kyoto；京都文化博物館
Kyoto Municipal Subway Line ；京都市営地下鉄, forefather；祖先, 先人, 祖
the Bank of Japan；日本銀行、 resembles ～ in appearance；外観が～に似ている
somewhat ；どことなく,少々, in commemoration of ～；～を記念して
a full picture of ～；～の全体像, smelt gold；金を製錬する、 exchange cups of sake；杯を交わす
textile worker；織物職人、 in pairs；2 個1 組で, quipus；キ－プ, elaborate；精巧な, decode；解読する
sacrifice ～ to －；～を－に捧げる(いけにえにする), Solar deity；太陽神
Coricancha；コリカンチャ(太陽神殿), let into ～；～に通す, 入れる、 stone arrangement；石組み
aboriginal；先住民, tax exemption；免税、 be granted special privilege；特権が与えられる
aristocracy；貴族、 be certified as ～；～と認証(認定)される, descendant；子孫
be loyal to ～；～に忠誠心を表す(忠誠を誓う), physically experience；体感する
video image；実写映像, wear 3D glasses；立体メガネをかける、 condor；コンドル, ethnic group；民族
look back to ～；～を振り返る、 manage to ～；何とか～する
clear a number of obstacles；数々の修羅場をくぐる、the Mongol invasions of Japan (Genko) ; 元寇, 蒙古襲来
threat；脅威、 colonialization；植民地化, European powers；欧米列強
Japanese-Russo War；日露戦争, achieve nationhood；独立国家の地位を勝ち取る
to the contrary；それとは反対に, immerse oneself in ～；～に浸る,どっぷりつかる
 TOPペ－ジへ戻る
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