Latin America

AncientPages.com | February 7, 2024

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - Pukaras (in Quechua and Aymara: ‘fortress’) are naturally impregnable settlements or strategic sites from 1000–1450 AD. They were defensive fortifications (or even fortified villages) built by the central Andean people from present-day Ecuador to the Chilean Central Valley and the Argentine Northwest.



Pukaras in the survey area. Sites occupy hilltops (A, C, D, F, G, H), ridgelines (E), and high plateaus (B) with significant natural defences that include steep slopes, cliffs (B), and rock outcrops (D & E). Built defences, such as perimeter walls and ditches (A) are highly visible in satellite imagery. source

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The largest pukaras are concentrated in the uplands to the south and south-east of Lake Titicaca. On the other hand, smaller ones are concentrated around the northern margins of Lake Titicaca and areas in the southern provinces of Cuzco located in the northwestern part of the survey area.

The researchers conclude that many fundamental questions regarding the pukara phenomenon in the highland Andes remain unanswered.

Despite almost two decades of archaeological investigation, more field research focusing on these constructions is needed to understand better patterns of residential and non-residential sites in which pukaras once played an essential role in the Andean societies.

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https://www.ancientpages.com/2024/02/07/pukaras-fortified-impenetrable-hillforts-in-the/