Sillustani: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
AgainErick (talk | contribs) commons link, image reorder. |
J. P. Protzen writes: "burial towers, or chullpa, at Sillustani near Puno in Peru, shows all the hallmarks of Inca coursed masonry" |
||
| (47 intermediate revisions by 38 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{ |
{{short description|Archaeological site in Peru}} |
||
| ⚫ | |||
{{Infobox ancient site |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
|other_name = |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
|image = Sillustani (1).jpg |
|||
| alternate_name = |
|||
|imagesize = 250px |
|||
| |
| image = Sillustani, Perú, 2015-08-01, DD 87.JPG |
||
| |
| alt = |
||
| caption = The tallest [[chullpa]] of ''Sillustani'', about 12m high |
|||
|pushpin_map = Peru Natural |
|||
| map = {{Infobox mapframe|zoom=10}} |
|||
|mapsize = 200px |
|||
| map_type = Peru |
|||
|map_caption = Location of Sillustani in [[Peru]] |
|||
| |
| map_alt = |
||
| map_size = |
|||
|locator_y = |
|||
| relief = yes |
|||
|latd = 15 |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
|latm = 43 |
|||
| location = [[Puno]], [[Puno Region]], [[Peru]] |
|||
|lats = 16 |
|||
| |
| region = |
||
| type = Cemetery |
|||
|longd = 70 |
|||
| part_of = |
|||
|longm = 09 |
|||
| length = |
|||
|longs = 30 |
|||
| |
| width = |
||
| area = |
|||
|civilization = [[Colla people]] |
|||
| |
| height = |
||
| builder = |
|||
|country = {{PER}} |
|||
| material = |
|||
|region = [[Puno Region|Puno]] |
|||
| |
| built = |
||
| abandoned = |
|||
|elevation = 3900m |
|||
| epochs = <!-- actually displays as "Periods" --> |
|||
|web = |
|||
| cultures = [[Qulla people]] |
|||
| dependency_of = |
|||
| occupants = |
|||
| event = |
|||
| excavations = |
|||
| archaeologists = |
|||
| condition = |
|||
| ownership = |
|||
| management = |
|||
| public_access = |
|||
| website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> |
|||
| notes = |
|||
}} |
}} |
||
| ⚫ | |||
'''Sillustani''' is a pre-[[Inca Empire|Inca]] [[cemetery]] on the shores of [[Lake Umayo]] near [[Puno]] in [[Peru]]. The tombs, which are built above ground in tower-like structures called [[chullpa]]s, are the vestiges of the [[Qulla people]], who are [[Aymara people|Aymara]] conquered by the Inca Empire in the [[15th century]]. |
|||
| ⚫ | The structures housed the remains of complete family groups, although they were probably limited to nobility. Many of the tombs have been dynamited by [[grave robbery|grave robbers]], while others were left unfinished.<ref>{{cite book | last = Stanish | first = Charles | title = Ancient Titicaca | publisher = University of Columbia Press | isbn = 0-520-23245-3}}</ref> |
||
==Chullpa== |
==Chullpa== |
||
[[Veneration of the dead]] and kinship were integral parts of Aymara culture, and the huge chullpas or "chupa" at Sillustani were built to house the Aymara elite of the immediate pre-Inca and Inca period. The word was used in the 19th century and comes from the ''Dictionary of Ludovico Bertonio'' (1612). Bertonio referred to the basket burials of the semi-nomadic pastoralists as "chulpas" and actually referred to stone towers as ''uta amaya'' "houses of the soul". However, the term "chullpa" remains used today for the towers.{{cn|date=November 2022}} |
|||
[[File:512-Sillustani.JPG|thumb|left|upright|The inside of a Chullpa]] |
|||
[[Ancestor worship]] and kinship were integral parts of Aymara culture, and the ''chullpas'' were built to emphasize the connection between life and death.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://cml.upenn.edu/tierrasajama/Sajama_English/hypo/chullpa.htm | title = Chullpas | accessdate = 2006-03-19}}</ref> The insides of the tombs were shaped like a woman's [[uterus]], and corpses were [[Mummy|mummified]] in a [[fetal position]] to recreate their birth. Some of the tombs also have [[lizard]]s carved into the stone. Because they could regrow their tails, lizards were considered a symbol of life. The only openings to the buildings face east, where it was believed the [[Sun]] was reborn by Mother Earth each day.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.putnamservice.com/jere/travel/peru/sillustani.htm | title = Sillustani | accessdate = 2006-03-18}}</ref> |
|||
Many of the chullpas at Sillustani show pre-Inca characteristics that were later redressed with Inca stone blocks. Similar chullpas are found throughout the entire south Central Andes with the above ground burial styles going back at least to the mature Tiwanaku period (c. 500–950).<ref>{{cite web | url = https://cml.upenn.edu/tierrasajama/Sajama_English/hypo/chullpa.htm | title = Chullpas | access-date =19 March 2006}}</ref> The insides of the tombs were built to hold entire groups of people, most likely extended families of the Aymara elite. Corpses were not intentionally mummified, but in the dry environment created by the closed tomb, they survived for centuries. Most mummy bundles indicate burial in a [[fetal position]]. Some of the tombs also have various animal shapes carved into the stone. The only openings to the buildings face east, where it was believed the [[Sun]] was reborn by Mother Earth each day.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.putnamservice.com/jere/travel/peru/sillustani.htm | title = Sillustani | access-date = 18 March 2006| url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060212052237/https://www.putnamservice.com/jere/travel/peru/sillustani.htm | archive-date = 12 February 2006 }}</ref> |
|||
<gallery> |
|||
File:Urna funeraria, Sillustani, Perú, 2015-08-01, DD 99.JPG|Chullpa from Inca epoch |
|||
File:Urnas funerarias, Sillustani, Perú, 2015-08-01, DD 113.JPG|Chullpas from the Tiwanaku epoch |
|||
File:Urna funeraria, Sillustani, Perú, 2015-08-01, DD 94.JPG|Inside of a chullpa |
|||
File:Petroglifo, Sillustani, Perú, 2015-08-01, DD 114.JPG|Stone with carvings at the entrance |
|||
</gallery> |
|||
==Architecture== |
==Architecture== |
||
While ''chullpas'' are not unique to Sillustani and are found across the [[Altiplano]], this site is considered the best and most preserved example of them. A large ramp on one of the chullpas demonstrates how stones would have been stacked upon the walls during construction. Father Cobo saw Inca builders using a similar ramp in the construction of the Cusco Cathedral.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/ANTH/emeritus/rowe/pub/rowe.pdf | title = Inca Culture At The Time Of The Spanish Coneuqest | author= John Howland Rowe | access-date = 18 March 2006}}</ref> |
|||
The architecture of the site is often considered more complex than typical [[Incan architecture]]. In contrast with the Inca, who used stones of varying shapes, the Colla used even rectangular edges.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.andrys.com/peru15.html | title = Chullpas of Sillustani | accessdate = 2006-03-18}}</ref> While ''chullpas'' are not unique to Sillustani and are found across the [[Altiplano]], the site is considered the best and most preserved example of them. |
|||
[[File:Sillustani Overview.jpg|1000px|thumbnail|center|Overview]] |
|||
== References == |
== References == |
||
{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
||
{{Commons category|Sillustani}} |
|||
==External links== |
==External links== |
||
{{ |
{{Wikivoyage|Sillustani}} |
||
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120505014037/https://tripideas.org/sillustani-burial-ground-peru/ Tripideas.org: Ancient Sillustani and environs, in Peru] — ''images of landscapes and Lake Umayo, stone burial tombs and setting, and current indigenous peoples.'' |
|||
{{Clear}} |
|||
{{Archaeological sites in Peru}} |
{{Archaeological sites in Peru}} |
||
{{Authority control}} |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
[[Category:Cemeteries in Peru]] |
[[Category:Cemeteries in Peru]] |
||
[[Category:Tombs in Peru]] |
|||
[[Category:Monuments and memorials in Peru]] |
|||
[[es:Sillustani]] |
|||
[[Category:Aymara people]] |
|||
[[fr:Sillustani]] |
|||
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Peru]] |
|||
[[qu:Sillustani]] |
|||
[[Category:Ruins in Peru]] |
|||
[[ru:Сильюстани]] |
|||
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Puno Region]] |
|||
Latest revision as of 22:38, 9 February 2024
 The tallest chullpa of Sillustani, about 12m high | |
 | |
  Shown within Peru | |
| Location | Puno, Puno Region, Peru |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 15°43′16″S 70°09′30″W / 15.72111°S 70.15833°W |
| Type | Cemetery |
| History | |
| Cultures | Qulla people |
Sillustani is a pre-Inca cemetery on the shores of Lake Umayo near Puno in Peru. The tombs, which are built above ground in tower-like structures called chullpas, are the vestiges of the Qulla people, who are Aymara conquered by the Inca Empire in the 15th century.
The structures housed the remains of complete family groups, although they were probably limited to nobility. Many of the tombs have been dynamited by grave robbers, while others were left unfinished.[1]
Chullpa
[edit]Veneration of the dead and kinship were integral parts of Aymara culture, and the huge chullpas or "chupa" at Sillustani were built to house the Aymara elite of the immediate pre-Inca and Inca period. The word was used in the 19th century and comes from the Dictionary of Ludovico Bertonio (1612). Bertonio referred to the basket burials of the semi-nomadic pastoralists as "chulpas" and actually referred to stone towers as uta amaya "houses of the soul". However, the term "chullpa" remains used today for the towers.[citation needed]
Many of the chullpas at Sillustani show pre-Inca characteristics that were later redressed with Inca stone blocks. Similar chullpas are found throughout the entire south Central Andes with the above ground burial styles going back at least to the mature Tiwanaku period (c. 500–950).[2] The insides of the tombs were built to hold entire groups of people, most likely extended families of the Aymara elite. Corpses were not intentionally mummified, but in the dry environment created by the closed tomb, they survived for centuries. Most mummy bundles indicate burial in a fetal position. Some of the tombs also have various animal shapes carved into the stone. The only openings to the buildings face east, where it was believed the Sun was reborn by Mother Earth each day.[3]
-
Chullpa from Inca epoch -
Chullpas from the Tiwanaku epoch -
Inside of a chullpa -
Stone with carvings at the entrance
Architecture
[edit]While chullpas are not unique to Sillustani and are found across the Altiplano, this site is considered the best and most preserved example of them. A large ramp on one of the chullpas demonstrates how stones would have been stacked upon the walls during construction. Father Cobo saw Inca builders using a similar ramp in the construction of the Cusco Cathedral.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Stanish, Charles. Ancient Titicaca. University of Columbia Press. ISBN 0-520-23245-3.
- ^ "Chullpas". Retrieved 19 March 2006.
- ^ "Sillustani". Archived from the original on 12 February 2006. Retrieved 18 March 2006.
- ^ John Howland Rowe. "Inca Culture At The Time Of The Spanish Coneuqest" (PDF). Retrieved 18 March 2006.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sillustani.
External links
[edit]
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Sillustani.
- Tripideas.org: Ancient Sillustani and environs, in Peru — images of landscapes and Lake Umayo, stone burial tombs and setting, and current indigenous peoples.
