Exhibition "Awaqpa Wasin"

The Awacpa Wasin exhibition was created to represent a traditional house occupied by weavers between the years 1960 to 1990 in the community of Chinchero. This exhibition is not a replica of an historic house, but serves as a means to interpret the stories and anecdotes of the Chinchero elders. It also shows wath traditional houses looked like based on visits houses of this type that still exist today.

This exhibition was motivated by the disappearance of these traditional houses due to changes in the area due to uncontrolled urban development, the rapid disappearance of traditional houses, and the population's loss of notion on the subject. Thus, creating the need to preserve information for future generations.

We hope that the experience of knowing a traditional house like this generates a deeper interest in the historical and cultural heritage that is changing and disappearing over the years.

Marca and Chicha: La Marca is a small storage located on top of the kitchen. In this storage fresh products such as varieties of potatoes and corn are kept. Under the Marca there is an important space where the family prepares chicha, when there were parties or work in the farms large quantities of chicha were prepared for all the guests.

Kitchen: Place where the family and especially the grandmother and children spent time cooking. The traditional cuisine is made with adobe and clay and is called Q`oncha, it works with firewood and dung (cow, sheep or llama feces) that the family collects from nearby forests and farms. Of course, a kitchen was never lacking for a pantry full of fresh ingredients such as vegetables, spices, herbs, etc.

Taque: A very important warehouse where dry foods such as beans, corn, chuño, quinoa, etc. are generally kept. Either they obtained from their crops or from some barter that consisted of exchanging products that they could not sow in their area in exchange for the products that they could produce in quantities. In this area the work materials for the crops were also kept, such as sacks, ropes, work clothes, etc.

Mijuna: It is a space for family interaction. Something similar to a living room or dining room where everyone eats or drinks together, it was a more spacious area and connected to the kitchen or pantry. Normally, guinea pigs were raised in this area because it is a warm place with easy access to vegetable leftovers.

Bedrooms: The beds in this area of ​​Cusco were made with medium sticks that were collected and tied with cowhide and instead of mattresses, sheep skins were used to obtain comfort and warmth. Family garments are usually stacked and mixed. There were small shelves, which were also made of sticks, but there was no furniture like today.

Storage and Weaving Tools: This Storage was designated to store blankets, blankets and sheep skins in case a family member stayed one night. As there was not much space, when someone stayed, a temporary bed was made near the kitchen or the Mijuna since they were the hottest parts of the house, usually next to the warehouse the daughter practiced weaving or spinning, which was very important to know for the future of a woman.

Tools - Agriculture: In every house there were different types of tools for agriculture that were very important to obtain their food every day. There were special tools for both sowing and harvesting the chaq`ras or cultivated fields.