Apurímac

Saywite Monolith

Considered a religious center for a water cult, the complex covers an area of 60 hectares divided into six sectors. Sector 1, the principal monolith, is the main draw. The Monolith of Saywite is a roughly circular block 2.5 meters high and 11 meters in circumference that features more than 200 animal figures and geometric shapes carved in high relief. It’s believed the collection could be a symbolic depiction of the known universe, making it an important ecological resource. The second sector is an area of staircases and fountains. Sector 3 or “Rumi Huasi” is an area of minor monoliths and fountains. In the rest of the Sectors you’ll find small pyramids, more fountains and an area devoted to an “Intihuatana,” a carved rock formation used to measure astronomical movements, especially of the sun and moon.

Sondor Archaeological Complex

Belonging to the Huari Culture (600-900 AD), and later occupied by the Inca, the Sondor complex was founded in the environs of Lake Pacucha at an altitude of 3200 meters above sea level. The site consists of a range of pyramid shaped mounds, which could have been combined to act as a fort. Rectangular and quadrangular walls are grouped together and surrounded by terraces that culminate in platforms, presenting expansive views of the lake.

Curamba Archaeological Complex

Curamba consists of various architectural structures in roughly rectangular shapes that jut out of the ground in the middle of the modern town of Ushno. Located in a corner of the main plaza, the site takes the form of a truncated pyramid that has three platforms with special characteristics that indicate a religious enclosure. The most notable sight at Curamba is a square monument with steps and embankments that must have been a sacrificial altar. Under the altar a small cave, or cell, has been hollowed out.

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