Definition of Aymara People

2000 years ago the Aymara people lived. His territory natural was found in the Andean highlands and extended through areas of present-day Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina. They believed in the Sun as the main divinity and also worshiped Mother Earth, known as Pachamamá.

With the passage of time, they fell under the rule of the Inca people and then were subjected by the Spanish conquerors, but despite this they have maintained their ancient traditions until the present.

Main features of the identity of this town

According to the mentality of this people, individuals had a close relationship with Mother Earth and This link was embodied in daily life through agricultural activities that they provided food.

The language of the Aymara has not disappeared and it continues to speak (especially in Bolivia and Peru).

The archaeological remains found allow us to draw some conclusions:

1) their numbering system was very rudimentary,

2) his daily life depended on llamas, roots, potatoes, and quinoa,

3) they practiced a communism social based on the idea of ​​sharing the goods that the Earth provides,

4) they had a great domain for the edification in stone and

5) were characterized by a warrior spirit.

When the Spanish occupied the territory of present-day Peru, the ethnicity Aymara was the only one who opposed an iron endurance.

One of its hallmarks is the consumption of the coca leaf, which is normally used in healing ceremonies.

The communities were formed by a group of families known by the term ayllu. Each ayllu had its own social leader and community judge, the curaca. A part of the goods obtained ended up in the hands of the religious leaders of the community.

The anata is a ritual still maintained by the Aymara peoples

While most rituals are mixed with the tradition Christianity and form a religious syncretism, they preserve some traditions. Among them the Aymara anata stands out. It is a festival very similar to the western carnival, but its origin has a direct relationship with the cycles of nature and the fertility of the earth.

In recent decades this culture has become known through the Wiphala flag, a multi-colored banner that expresses resistance cultural of this ethnic group.

Photos: Fotolia - Fabio Lamanna - Curioso

Themes in Pueblo Aymara