Choquequirao — Northern Terrace Coriwayrachina Saddle Sector
Choquequirao North Terrace · Coriwayrachina Choquequirao · Choquequirao second sector
Late Horizon Inca (c.1450 – 1572 CE)·Inca (Quechua) Pachacuti — Tupac Yupanqui·🇵🇪 Cusco / Apurímac, Choquequirao Archaeological Park, Coriwayrachina saddle north, Peru
About
About Choquequirao — Northern Terrace Coriwayrachina Saddle Sector
Northern terrace sector of Choquequirao ("Cradle of Gold") across Coriwayrachina saddle, where Inca terraces, kallankas and colcas extend 300 m north of classic Choquequirao plaza beyond the ridge saddle, 100 ha of unexcavated terraces with double-facing walls 4 m high and white quartz llama geoglyphs on andén. Built c.1450 Pachacuti as Vilcabamba valley gateway, abandoned 1572. Existing Choquequirao entry focuses on central plaza; this isolates northern saddle terrace geoglyph sector with Coriwayrachina Inca trail, surveyed 2020 COPESCO lidar. Partially excavated.
Why it mattersLlama terrace iconography links Inca state symbolism to Vilcabamba frontier — geoglyphs prove Choquequirao ritual function beyond estate; Coriwayrachina approach reframes Vilcabamba invasion route.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether north saddle is Manco construction vs Pachacuti
- 02Llama facing direction ritual meaning
Theories
- 01Llama quartz from Apurímac riverbed, not local
- 02Northern approach was Inca royal trail, not escape path
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.1450–1470 royal estate foundation
- Period
- Late Horizon Inca (c.1450 – 1572 CE)
- Culture
- Inca (Quechua) Pachacuti — Tupac Yupanqui
- Purpose
- Royal Inca estate and Vilcabamba gateway controlling Apurímac crossing
- Abandoned
- 1572 Vilcabamba fall to Viceroy Toledo
- Rediscovered
- 1834 cartographer Gleisner; 1909 Bingham visit; 1986– COPESCO
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.1450
Pachacuti founds Choquequirao on Apurímac cliff
c.1536–1572
Manco Inca retakes Choquequirao as Vilcabamba bastion
2020
COPESCO lidar maps northern saddle llama terraces
On the ground
Structures & features
13.3900° S · 72.8720° W · 3050 m · 3 mapped features
Northern Saddle Llama Andén Geoglyphs
geoglyphThree terraces with white quartz llama figures 25 m long on riser wall
13.3890° S · 72.8725° WCoriwayrachina Inca Road Saddle
roadPaved Inca road 3 m wide crossing saddle to Choquequirao plaza
13.3910° S · 72.8730° WColca Storage Group North
colcaCircular colca silos 3 m diameter on north terrace group
13.3895° S · 72.8710° W