Secondly there is a vast cemetery that was used for the burial of the Inca and their elite. A nice museum is also located on the site with many objects discovered during excavation and restoration of the palace and cemetery. Puruchuco is a Quechua word meaning something similar to “feathered hat” or “feathered helmet.”
Excavation and restoration of the Palace began in the 1950s under the direction of Dr. Arturo Jimenez Borja. His decision to restore the site has come under criticism with the new thinking in archaeology. Still, it makes for an impressive site to be seen in its current state. The palace was constructed in either the intermediate late period (900-1450 AD) or early in the Late horizon period (1450 – 1532 AD) with four distinct areas. A single entrance to the compound takes you into the first area, a large plaza where the curaca would hold audiences with the people to receive tribute. In addition it was probably used for public religious ceremonies and banquets. The curaca and his court would be located on the large elevated platform in this area during these events.
The second area you enter served as the living quarters for the permanent residents. It includes a kitchen and other rooms that were used for various activities in daily life. Here you will see tools used in the grinding of corn for cooking as well as large ceramic pots discovered on the site.
The fourth and final area contains a small courtyard and terrace possibly used in the preparation for and storage of perishable products. Later excavation of the area found objects that tend to support this theory. The Palace is like a maze and when you tour it, at times you feel as if you will not be able to find your way out. There a many long and narrow passageways and stairs which can get confusing. Outside the palace is a stairway around the back that takes you up to several viewing points where you can see the structure from above. In 1956 an urn was discovered in the palace containing 21 Inca khipu. The khipu was a system of knots tied in strands of string. It is still being investigated as to whether this is a form of language, an accounting system or both.
In the late 1990’s the archaeologist Guillermo Cock made an amazing discovery. Next to the Palace and occupying the hills and surrounding area as many as 10,000 bodies of Inca men, women and children are believed to be buried. More than 2,000 of these mummies were rescued by Cock and his team. Invaluable information on the life and times of the Inca were saved by this effort. It will take decades for the scientists to evaluate all the findings. Once those studies are done, the mummies and artifacts will be returned and placed in a museum.
There were 50,000 to 60,000 artifacts recovered with the mummies. Entire families were found in large mummy bundles, wrapped in layers of cotton and beautiful textiles. Some of the bundles clearly contained the Inca elite as their bundles were topped with false heads. A lot of the mummies were in excellent condition although some had deteriorated due to water seepage from the local residents. There are a few of the opened graves near the palace and visible when you visit the site.
Visiting this second site has taught me that there is a lot more depth to the Huacas of Lima than I originally thought. Huaca or Sacred Place has many meanings to Peruvians and can stretch through many ages. I am already looking forward to visiting the next Huaca and telling you all about it.
