Pucará de Tilcara

Information

It is an archaeological site located in the Quebrada de Humahuaca (a mountain valley). It is about 500 meters south of the town of Tilcara, right where the Huasamayo River flows into the Grande River. The name "pucará" comes from Quechua and means "fortress". However, the site had several periods of occupation and was only under Inca rule during its final stage. Also, it did not have only a military function, but also other functions related to everyday and religious life.

It is located on a hill that is 70 meters high, where you can see structures built with stone walls and thatched roofs. In the center is the Church, where Inca religious ceremonies were held. Around it are the Necropolis and different areas used for houses, tombs and corrals.

In the past, the site was initially occupied by the Tilcaras, who were one of the pre-Hispanic groups that inhabited the Quebrada. They were farmers and llama herders, and they also made woolen textiles and ceramic objects, many of which are currently displayed in museums in the area. Before the arrival of the Spanish, there was a period when the pucará was dominated by the Incas.

Something important to know about the structures you are going to see is that not all of them are original pre-Hispanic structures. The truncated pyramid that can be seen there was built in 1935 by Argentinians to honor the archaeologists who worked at the site, and it does not correspond to the architecture of the Indigenous peoples who inhabited the area.