THE ARCHAEOASTRONOMY OF HIGH ALTITUDE INCA CEREMONIALISM

Abstract

The Incas are renowned for their architecture, skillful masonry, complex political organization and their

extensive system of roads. One of their most remarkable achievements was the ascent and the building of

ceremonial structures on many of the highest peaks of the Andes, including Llullaillaco with an altitude of

22,110 feet, containing the world’s highest archaeological site.

Offerings on the summits were made after state-supported pilgrimages, which often involved weeks or

months of travel, covering distances of 1000 km or more. This paper discusses the sacrifices on the summit of

Llullaillaco, their possible astronomical attributes and explores the meaning behind these challenging en

deavors.

Llullaillaco can be climbed only during the southern summer, between November to March. The summit

platform contained the bodies of three children, a 13-year-old girl and a boy and girl aged 4-5 years. Because

the burials were in undisturbed conditions when excavated by Reinhard and his colleagues they also pro

vided evidence for the role of astronomy in this ceremony. The platform has been rotated toward December

solstice sunrise, which would have been an extraordinary endeavor, considering the difficulties of building

and orienting stone structures at such an extreme altitude. Alignment of the young boy to sunrise on Capac

Raymi may have been intended. The girl may have been oriented to June solstice sunrise. These ceremonies

appear to have been a combination of imperial geopolitics and reciprocity between humans and mountain

deities.