Tambo Colorado ( qu, Pukatampu) is a well-preserved

Inca The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...

adobe Adobe ( ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for ''mudbrick''. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is used to refer to any kind of e ...

complex near the coast of

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

, also known under the Quechua names Puka Tampu ("red resting place"), Pukallaqta ("red place") or Pukawasi ("red house").

Location

The site is located just inland from the south coast of Perú in the Pisco River Valley about 40 km along the highway to

Ayacucho Ayacucho (, qu, Ayak'uchu) is the capital city of Ayacucho Region and of Huamanga Province, Ayacucho Region, Peru. During the Inca Empire and Viceroyalty of Peru periods the city was known by the name of Huamanga (Quechua: Wamanga), and it c ...

known as the ''Via de los Libertadores'', close to the town of

Pisco Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored brandy produced in winemaking regions of Peru and Chile. Made by distilling fermented grape juice into a high-proof spirit, it was developed by 16th-century Spanish settlers as an alternative t ...

. Initial reports from the

2007 Peru earthquake The 2007 Peru earthquake, which measured 8.0 on the moment magnitude scale, hit the central coast of Peru on August 15 at 23:40:57 UTC (18:40:57 local time) and lasted two minutes. The epicenter was located south-southeast of Lima at a depth of ...

reported no major damage to the site. A High resolution GPS point was shot at the site datum on 2 Aug 2009 using an L2 GPS (Trimble GeoXH with Zephyr). The post-processed position is as follows: Northings: 8484705.386 m (± 0.8 m) Eastings: 410335.884 m (± 0.8 m) Altitude (MSL): 484.849 m (±1.8 m) UTM Zone 18 South, Datum WGS 1984.

History

The site was most likely built at the end of the 15th century during the reign of the

king

Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui ( qu, Pachakutiq Inka Yupanki) was the ninth Sapa Inca (1418–1471/1472) of the Kingdom of Cusco which he transformed into the Inca Empire ( qu, Tawantinsuyu). Most archaeologists now believe that the famous Inca si ...

also known as Pachacutec, after the annexation of the merchant kingdom of Chincha.

Name

The site owes its name to the abundant use of colors on the walls. Thanks to favorable (very dry) environmental conditions, many walls at Tambo, both internal and external, retain enough residual colored paint to accurately reconstruct what the original wall painting would have been like. Color here was often applied in horizontal strips of red, black, white, and yellow ochre atop stucco, and variation in color would accentuate architectural features such as niches. Trapezoidal niches at Tambo have one or two recesses each, likely used for the placement of important objects. As with all Inca constructions, the overall dimensions of niche construction are standardized across the entire site.

Lay-out

The site consists of several structures around a large central plaza. The central plaza is shaped like a trapezoid with its largest side being 150 m long. The main structures are grouped together in a northern part and a southern part (Sector Norte and Sector Sur). These structures are known as the Northern palace and the two Southern Palaces, flanked by an

Ushnu An ushnu or usnu is a pyramid-shaped, terraced structure that was used by the Inca to preside at the most important ceremonies of the ''Tawantinsuyu,'' or Inca Empire. Name Little is known of the Quechua root of the term ''ushnu'', but it see ...

(raised ceremonial platform) and a building known as the Utilities Structure. The combination of Chincha and

architectural techniques can be seen in the place.

Use

It is believed to have been used by the Incas as an administrative and control site on the main road from the coast to the highlands.

Museum

A small on-site museum is located near the entrance of the complex.

External links

Tambo Colorado Digital Media Archive
(

creative commons Creative Commons (CC) is an American non-profit organization and international network devoted to educational access and expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has release ...

-licensed photos, laser scans, panoramas), data from a

UC Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of Californi ...

CyArk CyArk (from "cyber archive") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Oakland, California, United States founded in 2003. CyArk's mission is to "digitally record, archive and share the world's most significant cultural heritage and ensure ...

research partnership

Notes

{{authority control Inca Former populated places in Peru Archaeological sites in Ica Region Archaeological sites in Peru Archaeological museums in Peru Tourist attractions in Ica Region