We'll pick you up at your accommodation to start the trip to the Kuntur Wasi Archaeological Complex, which is located on the “La Copa” hill in the province of San Pablo, 93 km from the city of Cajamarca. The name Kuntur Wasi (Temple or House of the Condor) was given by the Peruvian archaeologist Julio C. Tello in 1946.
After a 1 hour and 45 minute trip, we'll arrive at the archaeological complex and start the tour, observing the representations of condors that can be seen in the stone sculptures found on the site. It's about 800 by 500 metres.
You'll also see six stone sculptures depicting human beings with feline attributes that were found in 1948, as well as a cemetery on the slopes of the hill where high-status people were buried.
Then we'll visit the Site Museum, where we'll check out the gold objects found there.
Did you know that a Japanese Mission, led by Yoshio Onuki, has carried out the most important work since 1988? In 1993, they found seven burials of high-ranking people. They're supposed to have been made before the central platform of the Kuntur Wasi phase was built. Dr. Yoshio Onuki suggests that the tombs are for re-burials of people who died on the coast.
Three statues found by the Japanese were added to the six monoliths found in the 1940s. The statues represent supernatural beings: feline-men, with a loincloth held by a string.
The metal samples uncovered by Yoshio Onuki (1995) have been assigned to the Kuntur Wasi phase. The pieces have similarities with those from the Chongoyape archaeological site (Chiclayo), both samples being the oldest in Peruvian metallurgy. The techniques used were basically reduced to laminating the raw material and embossing. The thin gold plates were bent until the desired sculptural figure was achieved, then the edges of the sheets were welded using techniques such as amalgams.
After the visit to Kuntur Wasi, we'll head back to Cajamarca. On the way, we'll stop in the town of San Pablo for lunch (at your own expense).
Around 5:00 p.m., you'll arrive in Cajamarca and head back to your accommodation.