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Chinchaysuyu's District of
Pachacamac
Chief:
Position is currently vacant
Pachacamac, located in the Lurín Valley (south of Lima), was considered one of the most important religious centers of the indigenous peoples of the central Andes and is noted for its great pyramidal temples, and frescoed adobe walls. At the time of the Spanish conquest it was a major Inca shrine of the creator god Pacha Kamaq.
Pre-Inca Pachacamac
The earliest major occupation and construction of Pachacamac dates to the Lima culture of the Early Intermediate Period (c 200 - 600 CE). The Adobitos Complex, a set of large-scale constructions featuring complex adobe architecture, and the Templo Viejo or Old Temple of Pachacamac belong to this period. The Huari culture, based around the south central highlands of Peru, arrived in the region around 650 CE and began to use the city as an administrative center for the coastal Andes. Huari influences appear in the construction of the site and on the ceramics and textiles of this period. After the collapse of the Huari empire Pachacamac continued to grow in size, eventually covering 210 acres. It became an empire itself, extending over a large portion of coastal Peru though it never grew as large as the Huari empire. Between 1200 and 1450 CE the city was dominated by the Ischma culture from the Rímac and Lurín river basins, and it was during this period that the great religious cult of Pacha Kamaq became important and the majority of the architectural compounds and pyramids, including the Templo Pintado (Painted Temple, or Temple of Pachacamac), were constructed. Pachacamac under the Inca Empire
It seems the Pachacamac empire had collapsed by the time the Inca arrived, between 1450-1532 CE. The city became an important administrative center under the Inca Empire, who included the creator god Pacha Kamaq in the Inca pantheon and maintained Pachacamac as a religious center and oracle functioning independently of the Inca priesthood. The Inca adapted existing temples and constructed five additional buildings, including the spectacular staggered pyramid of the Templo del Inti (Temple of the Sun) on the top of a small hill overlooking the Pacific ocean, the Acllahuasi (House of the Chosen Ones ie. Virgins of the Sun), the Palace of Taurichumbi and the Plaza de los Peregrinos (Pilgrims' Plaza). However, Pachacamac wasn’t destined to remain under Inca control for very long. While at Cajamarca where he was holding the Inca Atahualpa prisoner, Francisco Pizarro heard about Pachacamac and in 1532 sent an expedition to sack the center, destroying the temple of the idol and seizing a large amount of silver and gold. Pacha Kamaq
"Pacha Kamaq" comes from the Quechua "pacha" (world) and "camac" (to animate) ie "The One who Animates the World." He was the God of the fire and son of the Sun God, and was believed to control the balance of the world. He was also associated with earthquakes, which were believed to be an expression of his anger. According to legend, in the beginning there was no food for the first man and the first woman, and the man died of starvation. The Sun fertilized the woman, but Pachacamac became jealous and killed the son, scattering and burying the parts. These remains became essential fruits and vegetables, the teeth becoming maize, and the bones becoming yuccas. Pilgrims came from all over the Andean world to consult the Oracle of Pacha Kamaq. It even survived the Spaniards, becoming transformed into the worship of the Christ of Pachacamilla, or the Señor de los Milagros (Lord of the Miracles). The only known artistic image of Pacha Kamaq is a wooden staff thought to be a representation of him, which was found in 1938 during an excavation of the Templo Pintado. Today this idol can be seen in the Pachacamac Museum located on the original site.
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