Ancasmarca, also known as Pitusiray or Sallcasa,escale.minedu.gob.pe - UGEL map of the Calca Province (Cusco Region) is a mountain in the Urubamba mountain range in the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. It is located in the

Cusco Region Cusco, also spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu suyu ), is a department and region in Peru and is the fourth largest department in the country, after Madre de Dios, Ucayali, and Loreto. It borders the departments of Ucayali on the north; Madre de D ...

Calca Province Calca may refer to: *Calca Peninsula, a peninsula in South Australia * Calca Province, one of thirteen provinces in the Cusco Region of Peru * Calca District, one of the eight districts in the Calca Province * Calca, Peru, capital of the Calca Dist ...

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, north of the Vilcanota River. Ancasmarca is situated northeast of

Huamanchoque Huamanchoque (possibly from Quechua ''waman'' falcon or variable hawk, ''chuqi'' metal, every kind of precious metal / gold ( is a mountain in the Canchacanchajasa Canchacanchajasa (possibly from Quechua ''kancha'' enclosure, enclosed place, yard, a frame, or wall that encloses, ''q'asa'' mountain pass,Diccionario Quechua - Español - Quechua, Academía Mayor de la Lengua Quechua, Gobierno Regional Cusco, C ...

, south of

Sahuasiray Sahuasiray (possibly from Quechua ''sawa'' matrimony, ''siray'' to sew,), Sawasiray, Colque Cruz or Ccolque Cruz (possibly from Aymara and Quechua ''qullqi'' silver, money, Spanish ''cruz'' cross, "silver cross"), is one of the highest mountain ...

, and southwest of

Ccerayoc Ccerayoc (possibly from Quechua ''q'ira'' a species of wild lupin, ''Lupinus platiphyllus'')idmaperu.org
Diagnóstico y Plan Maes ...

and Condorhuachana.

Mythology

Around 1575, the Spaniard Cristòbal de Molina wrote about the origins of the site in ''Relación de las fábulas y ritos de los Incas'' (Account of the Fables and Rites of the Incas). According to him, after consulting with his llamas, a shepherd foresaw the great flood. He took refuge with his 6 children on top of the Ancasmarca hill, which elevated as the waters rose. When the water cleared, the shepherd's children repopulated the region. For Molina, this was proof that the Andes had experienced the great flood told in the Bible by Noah. Other versions of the story explain that the llamas were sad because the stars were high in the sky and the animals understood what was coming.

Etymology

The word Ancasmarca is of Quechua origin and could have two different meanings:Complejo Arqueológico de Ancasmarca – Calca
''Cusconoticias.pe'', 22 October 2014 *''Anqas'' or ''ancash'': blue; ''marka'': village; "blue village" *''Anca'': eagle; ''marka'': village: "village inhabited by eagles"

Mythology

Etymology

See also

References

Further reading