Underwater archaeologists to investigate Pachacamac site

There won’t be much dust to brush off of the artifacts found at this dig, but there will certainly be a host of factors making life complicated for the archaeologists beginning an underwater dig near Pachacamac.

Archaeologists hope to better understand the relationship between the temple at
Pachacamac and the islands off the coast [Credit: Aquaviews.net]

According to Andina news agency, archaeologists are searching for clues to better understand the relationship between the holy site at Pachacamac and the islands near the coast. Experts believe that the islands were of great religious significance to prehispanic peoples, reports Andina.

Andina writes that a legend first recorded in the 1600s indicates that the islands may have been understood to be the embodiments of the goddess Cavillaca and her daughter, who threw themselves into the sea after leaving the mountains and traveling to the coast.

Previous digs near the site have found both pre-and post-hispanic artifacts, including the remains of a dock from the period of the guano boom in 19th-century Peru.

The Pachacamac archaeological complex is located about 40 kilometers south of the city of Lima. The site was utilized by different groups over the centuries, including the Huari and the Ichma. The Ichma were later conquered by the Inca empire, and Pachacamac was absorbed into imperial infrastructure.

Author: Rachel Chase | Source: Peru this Week [October 30, 2013]