Huari
or Wari
is an archaeological site located near the town of
Quinua
Quinua is a small town in Quinua District in the province of Huamanga, in Peru's central highland department of Ayacucho, from the city of Huamanga (Ayacucho), at an altitude of , which today serves as the administrative capital of the district ...
, 22 km northeast of the city of
Ayacucho
Ayacucho (, qu, Ayak'uchu) is the capital city of Ayacucho Region and of Huamanga Province, Ayacucho Region, Peru.
During the Inca Empire and Viceroyalty of Peru periods the city was known by the name of Huamanga (Quechua: Wamanga), and it co ...
, in the
Ayacucho Region
Ayacucho () is a department and region of Peru, located in the south-central Andes of the country. Its capital is the city of Ayacucho. The region was one of the hardest hit in the 1980s during the guerrilla war waged by Shining Path known as ...
,
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
at an elevation between 2600 and 2900 meters.
It was the capital city of the
Huari Empire
The Wari Empire or Huari Empire was a political formation that emerged around 600 CE in Peru's Ayacucho Basin and grew to cover much of coastal and highland Peru. The empire lasted for about 500 years, until 1100 CE. It existed during the same era ...
and one of the largest urban settlements in ancient Peru.
History
Huari was founded ca. 400 AD and gained prominence around 550 AD.
At its height, the city was inhabited by around 70,000 people
from different cultures, making it the center of a new religion that synthesized the beliefs of those various peoples.
The city was abandoned ca. 1000 AD.
Layout
The archaeological site spans an area of 2000 hectares, and comprises several areas or neighborhoods.
Buildings are made of stone and mudbrick, and painted in red and white.
Many of the structures had residential, administrative or religious purposes.
See also
*
Cultural periods of Peru
*
*
Northern Wari ruins
Northern may refer to the following:
Geography
* North, a point in direction
* Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe
* Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States
* Northern Province, Sri Lanka
* Northern Range, a r ...
*
Wari Empire
The Wari Empire or Huari Empire was a political formation that emerged around 600 CE in Peru's Ayacucho Basin and grew to cover much of coastal and highland Peru. The empire lasted for about 500 years, until 1100 CE. It existed during the same era ...
References
External links
National Geographic Magazine: “Empires of the Sun”, by Virginia Morell (Published: June 2002)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huari (archaeological site)
Archaeological sites in Peru
Former populated places in Peru
Archaeological sites in Ayacucho Region
Wari culture