Choquequirao – ‘Cradle Of Gold’ – The Last  Stronghold Of The Incas’ Resistance To The Spaniards

A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Choquequirao (from the Quechua word chuquik´iraw "Cradle of Gold") was the Inca’s last stronghold of the resistance to the Spanish domain. This was a political, religious and social center of the Inca Empire.

Choquequirao is considered to be a part of the complex built for the Inca resistance during the Spanish occupation, in Vilcabamba Valley. It was not built to be a place of easy access and, in fact, it effectively served the descendants of the Incas for more than 40 years.

Walled and fortified, the citadel had undoubtedly strategic importance due to its inaccessible location. Photo: Sumaq Peru

It is yet another "Lost City of the Incas" rediscovered officially late in the 20th century and archaeologists presume that Choquequirao citadel is one of several lost cities in the region of, where the Incas took refuge in 1536.

The ceremonial zone located around the Main Plaza, with palaces and two-story temples, an impressive system of fountains, canals, and aqueducts, long with admirable cultivation terraces the so-called ‘andenes’ is in fact, comparable with Machu Picchu.

Choquequirao is located 3085 meters above sea level, at the summit of a green mountain on the border of the districts of Cuzco and Apurímac, the Choquequirao Archaeological Park.

It is believed that Choquequirao was one of the entrance checkpoints to the Vilcabamba Valley, Department of Cusco, Peru. Walled and fortified, the citadel had undoubtedly strategic importance due to its inaccessible location.

This extraordinary complex was built on the base of stone in the last years of the Inca Empire (1471 – 1527).

This extraordinary complex was built on base of stone in the last years of the Inca Empire (1471 – 1527).

It occupies about 2 hectares and consists of 9 architectonic stone zones and a system of 180 platforms.

The residential zone includes popular houses called Piquiwasi; it is common to find large niches on the walls, and rooms with two or even three levels in almost every building. The massive stonewalls are fused with mud.

It was not built to be a place of easy access and, in fact, it effectively served the descendants of the Incas for more than 40 years. Photo: go2peru/Photo © C. Siles

The ceremonial zone located around the Main Plaza, with palaces and two story temples, an impressive system of fountains, canals and aqueducts, long with admirable cultivation terraces the so-called ‘andenes’ is in fact, comparable with Machu Picchu.

Construction of Choquequirao is the work of Inca Pachacutec successors, Tupac Inca Yupanqui (1 471-1 493) and Wayna Capac (1 493-1 527).

Each terrace was decorated with white rocks in the shape of a llama. Photo: hiddenincatours.com

However, it has long been unclear who was the promoter of the stronghold’s construction; some people suggested it was Pachacutec, other investigators argued that the builder was the Inca Tupac Yupanqui.

See also:
Mysterious ‘Temple Of The Crossed Hands’ – One Of The Oldest Structures In Peru

Beautiful Ancient City Of Pisac In The Sacred Valley, Peru – Incredible Inca Ruins

Catequil – Cultural Hero And Inca God Of Thunder And Lightning

Archaeologists unearthed household and ceremonial pottery that bears both the classic Cuzco style and also from other populations who came to live here to build and permanently populate the area.

The whole place was a shrine to worship the Sun God, the ancestors, the land, the water and other Inca deities.

Choquequirao is located 3085 meters above sea level, at the summit of a green mountain on the border of the districts of Cuzco and Apurímac, the Choquequirao Archaeological Park. Credits: Sumaq. Peru

Cosme Well, was the historian, who the first openly announced the existence of Choquequirao in 1768. Then, the French Eugen of Santiges and Leónce Angrand, officially did the same in the nineteenth century.

In 1865, Frenchman Emilio Colpaert who photographed various areas of Peru, drawed the path of horseshoe from Cachora to Choquequirao within the region of Cusco.

In 1911, Hiram Binghan, an academic, explorer and politician from the United States, who discovered Machu Picchu , the same year confirmed the importance of the site of Choquequirao.

Written by – A. Sutherland AncientPages.com Staff Writer

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