A previously unknown

Inca The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...

settlement, Quriwayrachina or Quri Wayrachina (

Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language **So ...

''quri'' gold, ''wayrachina'' a special oven for

smelting Smelting is a process of applying heat to ore, to extract a base metal. It is a form of extractive metallurgy. It is used to extract many metals from their ores, including silver, iron, copper, and other base metals. Smelting uses heat and a ch ...

metal, "oven for smelting gold"), was found in the Willkapampa mountain range 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 ...

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 ...

in 2001. The site lies in the

Santa Teresa District Santa Teresa District is one of ten districts of the La Convención Province in the Cusco Region of Peru. Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática. Banco de Información Distrital''. Retrieved April 11, 2008. Santa Teresa, Peru is situa ...

of the

La Convención Province La Convención Province is the largest of thirteen provinces in the Cusco Region in the southern highlands of Peru. As part of the higher-altitude Amazon basin at the foot of the Andes, La Convención is one of three Peruvian provinces that promin ...

, north of the archaeological site of

Choquequirao Choquequirao (possibly from Quechua ''chuqi'' metal, ''k'iraw'' crib, cot) is an Incan site in southern Peru, similar in structure and architecture to Machu Picchu. The ruins are buildings and terraces at levels above and below Sunch'u Pa ...

and west of the mountains Kiswar and Quriwayrachina ''(Corihuayrachina)'',escale.minedu.gob.pe - UGEL map of the La Convención Province (Cusco Region) showing the mountain Victoria (unnamed) north of the stream Victoria and west of the mountain Quriwayrachina ''(Corihuayrachina)'' on a mountain named Victoria. Close to nearby ancient Inca mines, the surrounding hills are covered with the littered stones from more than 200 structures in this Inca outpost.

Discovery

The British photographer and researcher Peter Frost discovered in 1999 a walking trail of the village. In June 2001 he led a group of archaeologists to the area. They found an area of 6 square kilometres of agricultural terraces, grain storage, cemeteries, grave towers, more than 100 circular buildings, the stump of a pyramid and an 8 km long canal, which was used for irrigation. The religious and administrative center was an open plaza, under which a tomb was located. When the researchers arrived in Quriwayrachina, the city had been looted already. Skeletons were found in the graves but with no grave goods. The pottery and stone tools found were identified with two different time periods. Estimates place the origin of the outpost in the early 13th century, then abandoned, later to be resettled.

References

External links

National Geographic March 2002
Inca History of Peru Former populated places in Peru Archaeological sites in Cusco Region Archaeological sites in Peru {{Cusco-geo-stub