Chacamarca Historic Sanctuary ( Spanish: ''Santuario Histórico de Chacamarca''), is a historical site in

Junín Province Junín Province is a province in northwestern Junín Region, in the central highlands of Peru. Its capital is the city of Junín. Geography The territory of the province is mountainous and it includes Lake Junin which is the largest lake entire ...

, Junín,

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 ...

. The sanctuary protects the site of the Battle of Junín and archaeological remains of the Pumpush culture.

History

Prior to the arrival of the

conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (, ; meaning 'conquerors') were the explorer-soldiers of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires of the 15th and 16th centuries. During the Age of Discovery, conquistadors sailed beyond Europe to the Americas, O ...

s, the area was occupied by the Pumpush and the Yarovilca cultures and after them, the Incas. The Incas occupied the area gradually and integrated it to the rest of the empire through the Capac Ñan (Inca road system). As a result, an Inca settlement flourished at Chacamarca. The Battle of Junín, which was fought on 6 August 1824, is regarded as one of the definite episodes in the

Peruvian War of Independence The Peruvian War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia del Perú, links=no) consisted in a series of military conflicts in Peru beginning with viceroy Abascal military victories in the south frontier in 1809, in La Paz revolution an ...

, which helped to bring to an end the Spanish rule in Peru and the Americas. The historical sanctuary was established on 7 August 1974, to preserve the historic site of the Battle of Junín, by a decree during the dictatorship of General

Juan Velasco Alvarado Juan Francisco Velasco Alvarado (June 16, 1910 – December 24, 1977) was a Peruvian general who served as the President of Peru after a successful coup d'état against Fernando Belaúnde's presidency in 1968. Under his presidency, nationalism ...

Geography

This historic landmark is located at 4105 m of elevation in a high andean plain known as ''Pampa de Junín''. The historic sanctuary spans an area of .

Climate

The area has an annual average temperature of 4.8 °C. The rainy season spans from October to April; with an annual average precipitacion of 800 mm.

Ecology

Flora

The sanctuary also protects part of the puna ecosystem, comprising grasslands and wetlands. Native plant species found at the site include: '' Festuca dolychophylla'', ''

Jarava ichu ''Jarava ichu'', commonly known as Peruvian feathergrass, ''ichhu'', ''paja brava'', ''paja ichu'', or simply ''ichu'' (Quechua for straw), is a grass species in the family Poaceae native to the Americas. It is found growing in a vast area: Mex ...

'', '' Calamagrostris vicunarum'', '' Carex'' ''ecuadorica'', '' Alchemilla pinnata'', '' Trichophorum rigidum'', '' Astragalus garbancillo'', ''Distichia muscoides, Plantago rigida'', '' Werneria nubigena'', ''Hypochaeris taraxacoides'', '' Erythranthe glabrata'', '' Gentiana sedifolia'', ''

Luzula ''Luzula'' is a genus of flowering plants in the rush family Juncaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, with species occurring throughout the world, especially in temperate regions, the Arctic, and higher elevation areas in the tropic ...

peruviana'', ''Acaulimalva crenata'', ''

Hordeum ''Hordeum'' is a genus of annual and perennial plants in the grass family. They are native throughout the temperate regions of Africa, Eurasia, and the Americas. One species, ''Hordeum vulgare'' (barley), has become of major commercial importan ...

muticum'', ''

Aciachne ''Aciachne'' is a genus of Latin American plants in the grass family. ; Species * '' Aciachne acicularis'' Laegaard - Costa Rica, Venezuela (Táchira, Mérida), Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina ( Catamarca) * '' Aciachne flagellifera ...

pulvinata'', ''

Azorella diapensioides ''Azorella diapensioides'' is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Azorella'' found in Peru and Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and gr ...

'', '' Solanum acaule'', etc.

Fauna

Bird species protected in the sanctuary include: the

Puna tinamou The puna tinamou (''Tinamotis pentlandii'') also known as Pentland's tinamou, is a member of the most ancient groups of bird families, the tinamous. This species is native to southern South America.Clements, J. (2007) The binomial name of the spec ...

, the Andean goose, the

Andean flicker The Andean flicker (''Colaptes rupicola'') is a South American species of woodpecker. It is found in grassland, shrubland and '' Polylepis'' woodland at altitudes of in the Puna ecoregion. Together with the campo flicker and ground woodpecker ...

, the

Puna ibis The Puna ibis (''Plegadis ridgwayi'') is a species of bird in the family Threskiornithidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Its natural habitats are swamps, marshes and lakes, and most of its range is in the Andean highlands, ...

, the

chiguanco thrush The Chiguanco thrush (''Turdus chiguanco'') is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is found in Ecuador and the Altiplano. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland and heavily degraded former forest. Gall ...

, the

Andean lapwing The Andean lapwing (''Vanellus resplendens'') is a species of bird in family Charadriidae, the plovers and their relatives. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. ...

, the aplomado falcon, '' Cinclodes'' spp.,

Raimondi's yellow finch Raimondi's yellow finch (''Sicalis raimondii'') is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is endemic to coastal Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland. Refe ...

, the

variable hawk The variable hawk (''Geranoaetus polyosoma'') is a polymorphic species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is widespread and often common in open habitats in western and southern South America, including the Falkland Islands. Its ta ...

, ''

Anas ''Anas'' is a genus of dabbling ducks. It includes the pintails, most teals, and the mallard and its close relatives. It formerly included additional species but following the publication of a molecular phylogenetic study in 2009 the genus wa ...

'' spp., the Andean hillstar, the

black-winged ground dove The black-winged ground dove (''Metriopelia melanoptera'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Taxonomy and systematics The black-winged ground dove has two sub ...

, etc. Among the mammals reported in the area are: the vicuña, Molina's hog-nosed skunk, the

Andean fox The culpeo (''Lycalopex culpaeus''), also known as culpeo zorro, Andean zorro, Andean fox, Paramo wolf, Andean wolf,Comparative ecology of two South American foxes, 'Dusicvon ariseus' and 'culpaeus' by Warren E. Johnson. Doctoral dissertation. Io ...

, and the montane guinea pig.

Activities

It is possible to visit the site and have a panoramic view of the plains from two hills inside the sanctuary. There are also archeological sites inside the sanctuary, like the colcas, which were Inca warehouses that once stored food and other goods.

Environmental issues

Land tenure conflict with surrounding communities; livestock grazing; illegal hunting; illegal plant extraction and garbage dumping next to the sanctuary are the main issues that threaten the local biodiversity and the preservation of the site.

References

External links

Chacamarca Historic Sanctuary. Official site (in Spanish).

Chacamarca Historic Sanctuary. Official map.
{{Natural and Cultural Peruvian Heritage Archaeological sites in Junín Region Archaeological sites in Peru