Huaca Pucllana

In the Fifth century, the Lima valley inhabitants started the construction of the Huaca Pucllana. Two important reasons inspired the group of sacred priests, who were the governing rulers at that time. The first reason was their need to express their religious authority. The second reason was directly linked with the control of the hydrological resources stemmed from the water canal system, on the left bank of the Rimac river. Therefore, Pucllana was an important ceremonial and administrative location. Its magnificence was reflected by the configuration of a monumental architecture. It was built with small adobe bricks wrought on a continuous base of blocks and remodeled during the three centuries of the Huaca existence.
Currently the Pucllana Archeological Zone spreads over 15 hectares and is divided into two well-defined sections. One is of pyramidal structure, in a terrace formation. It is 23 meters high and constitutes the ceremonial sector. There, they performed activities related to the religious cults to worship their gods.
The administrative center was located on the other section – the area of public squares and ramps -. It is formed by interconnected precincts with benches, courtyards and passageways. In these places, architectural evidences show that walls were plastered and painted in yellow ocher.
Public and political matters, trade activities, as well as storage, ceremonies and summons used to take place here.
What did these ancient Peruvians trade? What did they store? Without doubt it was their elegant ceramics of symbolic character, representing figures of interlaced snakes or fish shapes in red, black and white. Also knitted fabrics made out of cotton and Peruvian camel (llama and alpaca) wool, simple but well manufactured, in white, brown and beige colors. Craftsmen would also contribute with basket making and fishing nets, but mainly they traded and stored the food and agricultural products grown in the valley.
The flatland of the Rimac valley offered a great variety of crops such as corn, beans, lima beans, peanuts, squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, “lucuma” and “pacae” (local fruits) and chili pepper, among others. The ocean provided them with different fish species including sole, flounder and silversides, all kinds of seafood such as scallops, clams, mussels and crabs. The pastures of its slopes gave home to deer, herds of llamas and alpacas as well as guinea pigs and ducks.
Today, fifteen centuries after those men gave life to Pucllana, we offer you a sample of the best Peruvian and International cuisine.

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