High in Peru’s Andes, villagers carry out centuries-old work of collecting salt, in photos

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In Peru’s Andes, villagers continue harvesting salt from five-century-old family ponds using an ancient Quechua principle of collective labor called “ayni.”

The terraced salt ponds cascade down mountainsides in white, tan and brown patches, a visual landscape cultivated for generations by resident families.

Community rules require salt pond ownership to stay within the two villages, deliberately preserving an ancient trade and lifestyle for future generations.

CUSCO, Peru — When Uriel plans his work schedule late in summer near his village in the Peruvian mountains, his first decision is usually which friend’s salt pond he will work that day. In keeping with “ayni,” an ancient Q