Paul Boyton Arrives in Lima, Peru

Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish conquistador, founded Lima as his capital on January 6th, 1535. Pizarro's forces included Italians, Greeks and Africans, setting the stage for Lima's later position as a multiethnic society. The many foreign visitors and residents helped produce Lima's strong cosmopolitan flavor. (Dobyns, 1976, pg. 69)

Pizarro built his new city on an earlier settlement that involved more than 100 temple mounds. Ceremonial centers, such as this one, dotted the coastline of Peru. In ancient times, pilgrims came to these centers to appease the spirits and gain prestige. These centers influenced group behavior and the distribution of goods and labor. Some major crisis may have caused their decline, and most were gone before the Europeans arrived. (Time-Life, 1994)

Lima developed into a focal point for the export of Peru's riches to foreign countries. A city of 100,000 when Paul Boyton arrived, Lima's poorly paved streets led between long and narrow one-story houses of sun-dried mud to 33 public squares. Hawkers proclaimed their goods in song or shout. Wealthier homes had balconies, known as miradores, overhanging the street. A cart with three mules harnessed abreast or a closed carriage drawn by two horses occasionally passed by. Boyton may have seen men in black suits, but probably few native Indians of the mountains.

Resources:

Dobyns, Henry F. And Paul L. Doughty. 1976. Peru: a cultural history. New York, Oxford University. 336 pp.

Time-Life. 1994. The search for El Dorado. Alexandria, Virginia, Time-Life. 168 pp.