Pucará de Tilcara facts for kids
The Pucará de Tilcara is an ancient fortress built on a hill in Jujuy Province, Argentina. It's located near the town of Tilcara and offers amazing views of the Quebrada de Humahuaca valley. This place was chosen because it was easy to defend and gave a clear view of anyone approaching.
The Pucará de Tilcara was named a National Monument in 2000. It's special because it's the only ancient site in the Quebrada de Humahuaca that you can visit! Parts of it have been rebuilt so visitors can imagine what it was like long ago.
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A Look Back: The History of Pucará de Tilcara
People have lived in this area for over 10,000 years! The fortified town was first built by the Omaguaca tribe. They settled here around the 12th century. The Omaguaca people were skilled farmers, weavers, and potters. They were also known as brave warriors. The pucará was a very important place for their government and military.
At its busiest, the pucará covered about 15 acres (60,000 square meters). Over 2,000 people lived there. They lived in small square stone buildings. These homes had low doorways and no windows. Besides houses, the pucará also had pens for animals. There were also special places for religious ceremonies and burial sites.
The Incas Arrive
In the late 15th century, the Incas conquered the tribes of the Quebrada valley. This was led by Tupac Inca Yupanqui. The Incas used the pucará as a military base. They also used it to control the supply of metals. These metals included silver, zinc, and copper. They were mined nearby.
The Incas ruled this area for about 50 years. Their rule ended when the Spanish arrived in 1536. The modern town of Tilcara was founded by the Spanish in 1586.
Pucará de Tilcara: Recent Discoveries
Rediscovering the Ancient Site
In 1908, an expert named Juan Bautista Ambrosetti from the University of Buenos Aires rediscovered the site. His student, Salvador Debenedetti, joined him. In their first three years, they found over 3,000 ancient items!
Starting in 1911, they began to clear and rebuild some of the structures. About 2,000 square meters (21,500 square feet) were worked on. In 1948, Eduardo Casanova took over the project. He helped open the site as an archaeological museum in 1966. The University of Buenos Aires still manages the digging and rebuilding today.
Exploring the Museum
The museum at Pucará de Tilcara has ten rooms. Three rooms are for special, temporary exhibits. It also has a library and offices. The seven main rooms show over 5,000 valuable historical pieces. These come from different ancient Indian cultures.
- Room 1 focuses on Argentina and nearby countries like Chile and Bolivia. It once displayed a mummified body from San Pedro de Atacama, but it is no longer shown.
- Room 2 features items from the Indian culture of Peru. You can see pottery from the Nazca, Mochica, and Chimú Indians.
- Room 3 shows items from the time of the Spanish Conquest.
- Rooms 4 and 5 display pieces from Puna and Jujuy. This includes a recreated burial ground of the Aymara Indians.
- Room 6 displays items found right here at the Pucará de Tilcara fortress.
- Room 7 shows more pieces from the wider Quebrada de Humahuaca area.
The Botanical Garden
Next to the pucará, there is a small botanical garden. It has many different types of cactus plants. All these cactus species grow naturally in this area. It's a nice place to visit after exploring the fortress.
See also
In Spanish: Pucará de Tilcara para niños
