The Pucará de Tilcara is a pre-Inca fortification or pukara located on a hill just outside (approximately a 15-minute walk) the small town of Tilcara, in the Argentine province of Jujuy. The location was strategically chosen to be easily defensible and to provide good views over a long stretch of the Quebrada de Humahuaca.
This ancient town was occupied between the end of the 8th century AD. and the moment of Hispanic - indigenous contact (16th century AD), presents a great concentration of archaeological structures distributed over more than 8 hectares of surface. These structures, of which only the walls and foundations are mainly visible, are part of the old houses, workshops, squares, tombs and ceremonial spaces, which the ancient inhabitants of Quebrada de Humahuca inhabited.
The term "Pucará" means "Fortress" in the Quechua language. This Pucará is one of the many that exist in the Quebrada de Humahuaca, and throughout the central Andean region up to Ecuador. It has the peculiarity that it was rebuilt by archaeologists from the University of Buenos Aires between 1911 and 1948. Juan Bautista Ambrosetti began the work and was completed by Eduardo Casanova.
The Pucará de Tilcara was declared a National Monument in 2000. It has been partially rebuilt, and is the only publicly accessible archaeological site in the Quebrada de Humahuaca.
This ancient town was occupied between the end of the 8th century AD. and the moment of Hispanic - indigenous contact (16th century AD), presents a great concentration of archaeological structures distributed over more than 8 hectares of surface. These structures, of which only the walls and foundations are mainly visible, are part of the old houses, workshops, squares, tombs and ceremonial spaces, which the ancient inhabitants of Quebrada de Humahuca inhabited.
The term "Pucará" means "Fortress" in the Quechua language. This Pucará is one of the many that exist in the Quebrada de Humahuaca, and throughout the central Andean region up to Ecuador. It has the peculiarity that it was rebuilt by archaeologists from the University of Buenos Aires between 1911 and 1948. Juan Bautista Ambrosetti began the work and was completed by Eduardo Casanova.
The Pucará de Tilcara was declared a National Monument in 2000. It has been partially rebuilt, and is the only publicly accessible archaeological site in the Quebrada de Humahuaca.
