The Chilean capital, Santiago del Nuevo Extremo, as it was called in 1541 by the Spanish founders, has on its south side an important pre-hispanic monument which until now was thought to be just a fortress (pucara) built on the hill overlooking the entrance to the Central Valley. Recent research carried out on a small hill called Cucara to the south of the Chena hills, shows an importante Inca urban development in the area, says Patricio Bustamante D., chilean archeologist. The comonly known as Pucará or fortress of Chena (Stehberg, R. 1976) would have served as an important ceremonial center and astronomical observation. Its feline form resembling a puma, similar to the layout of the capital city of the Cusco, is one of its most distinctive features. Other elements of its location, geographical orientation, cultural and urban context, and its coorelation to the celestial bodies, are pointing to the fact that the place was a "huaca", points out the archeologist. Huacas, according to Father Bernabe Cobo (1653) were "all of the sacred places designated for prayers and sacrifices, as well as for all of the gods and idols that were worshiped in these places".
No comments:
Post a Comment