Four from UNG look at how history is preserved and visit Machu Picchu

Three University of North Georgia (UNG) students and a faculty member got to step behind the scenes of historical preservation on a 15-day study abroad trip to Peru.

The trip included a visit to Machu Picchu, named by National Geographic as one of the "new seven wonders of the world."

Dr. Alexander Wisnoski, assistant professor of history at UNG, and students Chloe Perry, Grant Wheeler and Brian Fleek gained access to the Peruvian National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History, working with directors and curators of various departments.

Some of the items they saw were too delicate for display, meaning the regular viewing public would never see them.

“The students learned about the important work of curators in restoring and preserving artifacts that are thousands of years old,” Wisnoski said. “This was a behind the scenes look that students (or anyone) rarely get on these trips.”

Spending most of their time in the capital city of Lima, Wisnoski and his students visited many other historic sites and experienced Peruvian music and dances at a cultural event.