Exploring Inca ushnu sites
Atahualpa, the Inca ruler taken and killed by Spanish invaders in the 1500s, asked for the meeting with his murderers to take place in the great plaza of the town of Cajamarca at the site of a ‘castillejo’, a type of platform we now call an ushnu.
This shows not only that ushnus were appropriate sites to meet strangers, but that they were considered to hold great significance.
Research at 30 platforms across the modern
area of Ayacucho has demonstrated
that ushnus are located in both town squares
and alongside Inca roads. In towns the platforms are located
in or by the side of the main square, while
those located on Inca roads are often found on
mountain tops. There, they offer views of the horizon
and of Wamanis (mountain deities) in the
landscape.
Featured ushnu sites
Condormarca
Thought to be named after the now damaged condor carved into a nearby rock face and located in the village of Huamanguilla
Incapirca Waminan
Located on a rounded mountaintop near Ayacucho and offering a remarkable views of major mountain peaks
Kunuquarqo
Stone channels on the side of this ushnu connect it to the ritual of pouring drinks as an offering to God
Mesapata
A platform of between two and four levels featuring finely carved stonework comprised of grey andesite
Uscunta
Items found nearby include pottery, tools and stone balls believed to have been used in an organised game
Ushnupata
A Late Horizon-era Inca structure located on a low hill near to a community cemetery
Vilcashuaman
A well-known site on the main
Inca road running along the Andes
mountain chain and down to the coast