Archaeological Park of Pikillaqta
A Bucolic Cultural Landscape. The Archaeological Park of Pikillaqta embodies the harmonious coexistence of the ancient Wari culture with the region's unique natural resources.
A Unique Wari Cultural Landscape
Resting on a plateau surrounded by hills, valleys, wetlands, and lakes, the Archaeological Park of Pikillaqta embodies the harmonious coexistence of the ancient Wari culture with the region’s unique natural resources and landscape.
This pre-Inca urban center was a provincial city from 650 to 900 CE that functioned as a residential, administrative, religious, and military hub. Only 20 miles away from Cusco, the park spans 8,453 acres (34 square kilometers) and includes houses, ceremonial buildings, cemeteries, and storage facilities alongside a diverse landscape of flora, fauna, and mineral resources.
Seeking Community Engagement
This bucolic landscape and its archaeological remains are not well known among the local population or Cusco's international visitors. Meanwhile, herdsmen and farmers are causing damage to the archaeological remains by using the park for grazing and planting. Brush fires and agricultural burning are destroying the site's vegetation, and its clay and gypsum are being stripped away from the site for reuse.
With Pikillaqta's successful nomination to the 2010 World Monuments Watch, local authorities sought to engage the community in conservation and tourism development efforts to raise awareness, improve economic conditions, and promote stewardship of the cultural and natural resources of the site.
