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Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
January 1, 2008
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| December 11, 2007 |
Lessons from the Past – Sakane Hiroshi and the End of Civilizations |
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Sakane Hiroshi gave a series of fascinating lectures about the rise and fall of great civilizations and likened them to our own which he believes is at risk of collapsing if we don’t rectify the way in which we abuse the Earth and her resources |
Sakane Hiroshi, Director of Amano Museum in Lima, Peru, where he has lived for the past 34 years, joined Peace Boat from Panama to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) to talk about how we can learn from the mistakes of past civilizations and not repeat them to ensure the survival of humankind and the Earth. In addition to his archaeological work in the Andes, Mr Sakane is a leading researcher on the textiles, cultures and vessels of Peru, and is an expert on Inca civilization, having visited Machu Picchu more than 50 times. |
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| Mysterious Machu Picchu, the best known legacy left by the advanced Inca civilization |
He highlighted the Inca Empire’s demise as a way of bringing participants’ attention to the current state of affairs in our world. When the Spanish invaded Peru in 1532, the odds were stacked against them as they were an army of 20,000 facing an advanced civilization of 11 million. However, because the Spanish were mounted on horseback, protected by armor and swinging steel swords, they were able to easily conquer the empire. ‘Although the Inca emperor Atahualpa knew the Spanish invaders were coming, it didn’t occur to him that they would stage a siege. In fact, the Incas were dancing and singing as they proceeded to the Spanish who were led by Francisco Pizarro. They believed that if the emperor was attacked, the perpetrator would be struck by lightning or that there would be divine retribution. It was at this point that the great empire was brought to its knees,’ explained Mr Sakane. ‘Something unexpected happens and the entire civilization falls to pieces,’ he warned. He surmised the Inca Empire’s rapid demise was due to its highly centralized system which had no backup system. When its key figure, the emperor, was captured, there was no way for the empire to continue functioning the way it had, so it collapsed. |
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The moai of Rapa Nui were transported using trees which eventually led to the deforestation of the island and a lack of food for its inhabitants |
Mr Sakane also discussed the case of Rapa Nui which he first visited in 1979. It is thought that Rapa Nui, which was inhabited by Polynesians from the 4th or 5th century AD, was a final point of a 400 year journey which began in Asia. There are more than 800 moai statues on Rapa Nui, and Mr Sakane believes that it was the unsustainable moai-making industry which led to the downfall of that civilization before the European colonialists arrived in the 18th century. ‘In making too many statues, they had to cut down all of the trees to make logs to transport the moai, and so eventually, through deforestation and war over scarce resources, they were left without any food to eat. It was the use and abuse of resources that led to their downfall,’ he claimed. |
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| Mr Sakane warned participants that if we don’t start to treat the Earth with respect, we will face disastrous consequences |
Mr Sakane warned about something similar happening in our lifetime but on a larger scale. ‘There is a knock on effect, and humanity can become extinct. We are like fleas on the body of a dog, we can’t bite the dog too often or else we’ll get scratched off,’ he said. In order to avoid a catastrophic situation like this, he believes that, ‘We need to find a way to coexist with the planet. We need to understand that the habitat is under immense strain and stress. We are putting a great burden on the world in which we live, and we have to remember there is nowhere else to go. The only people who can help us are ourselves, so we need to find a solution here on Earth – that is our only option.’ Mr Sakane finished his series of lectures with a message to participants: ‘The greatest thing we can do is to pray for the Earth. Humankind needs to go back to the basic idea of praying, which is thinking,’ he concluded. |
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