Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
AROUND LIMA
On weekends and holidays,
limeños
head for the beach or the hills. From exploring ancient
ruins to beach bumming, there is much to do outside of the city that is worthy of explora-
tion if you have a few extra days.
NEW DISCOVERIES IN PACHACAMAC
The widespread looting of Peru's archaeological treasures has left many ruins with more puzzling questions than
answers. So the discovery in May, 2012 of an untouched 80-person burial chamber in Pachacamac is considered
nothing less than a coup. Archaeologists from the Free University of Brussels discovered an 18m (60ft) oval cham-
ber in front of the Temple of Pachacamac, hidden under newer burials. The perimeter was laced with infants and
newborns encircling over 70 skeletons in the center of the tomb. The mummies were wrapped in textiles and buried
with valuables, offerings, and even dogs and guinea pigs. According to
National Geographic
, investigators think
the tomb may contain pilgrims who were drawn to the site to seek cures for serious illnesses.
Pachacamac
01
Situated about 31km southeast of the city center, the archaeological complex of
Pachaca-
mac
( 430-0168;
http://pachacamac.perucultural.org.pe
;
admission S6; 9am-5pm
Mon-Fri)
is a pre-Columbian citadel made up of adobe and stone palaces and temple pyr-
amids. If you've been to Machu Picchu, it may not look like much, but this was an import-
ant Inca site and a major city when the Spanish arrived. It began as a ceremonial center for
the Lima culture beginning at about AD 100, and was later expanded by the Waris before
being taken over by the Ichsma. The Incas added numerous other structures upon their ar-
rival to the area in 1450. The name Pachacamac, which can be variously translated as 'He
who Animated the World' or 'He who Created Land and Time,' comes from the Wari god,
whose wooden, two-faced image can be seen in the on-site
museum
.
Most of the buildings are now little more than piles of rubble that dot the desert land-
scape, but some of the main temples have been excavated and their ramps and stepped
sides revealed. You can climb the switchback trail to the top of the
Templo del Sol
(Temple
of the Sun), which on clear days offers excellent views of the coast. The most remarkable
structure on-site, however, is the Palacio de las Mamacuna (House of the Chosen Women),
