Human Skull, Peru, 2000
Photograph by Gordon Wiltsie All that remains of the Peruvian cloud people, the Chachapoya, lie in muddy tombs such as this one on the eastern slopes of the Andes. The ancient culture, which built mountaintop fortresses and fiercely resisted the Inca, survived from the 9th to the 15th centuries. Many of the trinkets the Chachapoya buried with their dead have been lost to looters over the centuries. (Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Quest for the Lost Tombs of the Peruvian Cloud People," September 2000, National Geographic magazine)
Mummy Hand, Magdalena de Cao, El Brujo, Peru, 2004
Photograph by Ira Block A close-up shows the desiccated hand of a remarkably preserved woman from Peru's ancient Moche culture. The discovery of her elaborately wrapped remains at a ceremonial site called El Brujo puzzled archaeologists, who were surprised by what appeared to be a female ruler among the male-dominated Moche. (Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Mystery of the Tattooed Mummy," July 2006, National Geographic magazine)
Nasca Lines, Nasca, Peru, 1964
Photograph by Bates Littlehales An aerial view shows the famed Nasca Lines of southern Peru. These images, enormous geoglyphs etched into the desert some 2,000 years ago, are so large they can only be discerned from the sky. Some are more than 1,000 feet (300 meters) long. (Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "The Five Worlds of Peru," February 1964, National Geographic magazine)
Bullfight, Arequipa, Peru, 1982
Photograph by William Albert Allard A slow exposure blurs the charge of a bull at a bullfight in Arequipa, Peru. Peru is the second stop on the calendar for many of the world's top bullfighters. They begin in Spain in March, move to Lima for a month in October, then head to Mexico to close the year. (Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "The Two Souls of Peru," March 1982, National Geographic magazine)
Slug Caterpillar, Manu River, Peru, 2001
Photograph by George Grall Brushlike suckers radiate from the body of a slug caterpillar resting on a leaf near Peru's Manu River. The stinging hairs, or suckers, of these brightly colored, fleshy caterpillars contain mildly venomous toxins used for defense purposes. However, simply touching a slug caterpillar triggers toxin transfer, which causes rashes, swelling, and in some cases, fever and nausea. (Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "The Fragile World of Frogs," May 2001, National Geographic magazine)
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