Mawk'allaqta, La Unión

Mawk'allaqta
Location	Peru, Arequipa Region, La Unión Province
Region	Andes

Mawk'allaqta, also Mawk'a Llaqta^[1] (Quechua mawk'a ancient, llaqta place (village, town, city, country, nation),^[2] "ancient place", Hispanicized spelling Maukallakta) is an archaeological site in Peru. It is located in the Arequipa Region, La Unión Province, Puyca District, located about 2 kilometers from Puyca.^[3]

Mawk'allaqta is the largest and most important archaeological complex of the Cotahuasi valley. Developed by the Wari culture, it was strategically located on trading routes. Later it was occupied by the Allcca and later still by the Inca, who used it as a center of religious and military administration in the valley. In the 21st century, the complex is included within the Cotahuasi Subbasin Landscape Reserve.^[3]

Description

Mawk'allaqta is believed to be an administrative center developed by the Wari culture, which was active about 500CE to 1000CE, prior to the Inca Empire. The large archeological complex is located on a plateau between the Huarcaya and Sumana rivers, which merge downstream to form the Cotahuasi River. Approximately 50 stone structures have been identified on the site, which includes about 25 tombs on the east side of the complex.

The complex was strategically located, enabling Inca control of the trading routes between Cusco and the coast. The Capac Ñan network intersected here with the Contisuyo networks and connected the heart of Tahuantinsuyo Cuzco with the coast of Arequipa.

References

^ Diccionario Quechua - Español - Quechua, Academía Mayor de la Lengua Quechua, Gobierno Regional Cusco, Cusco 2005: Mawk'a Llaqta
^ Teofilo Laime Ajacopa, Diccionario Bilingüe Iskay simipi yuyayk'ancha, La Paz, 2007 (Quechua-Spanish dictionary): mawk'a, thanta - adj. Usado, -da. Gastado y deslucido por el uso. || Antiguo, lo que ya pasó de moda. Mawk'a. llaqta - s País. Nación, región, provincia o territorio, pueblo pequeño. || s. Nación. Conjunto de los habitantes de un territorio. || s. Patria. Lugar, ciudad o país en que se ha nacido. || s. Pueblo. || s. Urbe. Ciudad, en especial populosa.
^ ^a ^b mincetur.gob.pe Archived 2014-02-24 at the Wayback Machine mincetur.gob.pe Edgar Flores Hinojosa-Margot Huillica, "Ciudadela Arqueológica de Maukallakta"], Ministerio de Comercia y Turismo, 2013 (in Spanish)

Sources

PLAN DE TURISMO DE LA PROVINCIA DE LA UNIÓN 2007- 2021, La Unión Province
REVISTA SOLIMANA, 1999 (ASOCIACIÓN PROVINCIAL LA UNIÓN APLU)
GOMEZ ZANABRIA, GONZALO. HISTORIA Y CULTURA DE LA PROVINCIA DE LA UNION-AREQUIPA, MPLU-UCSN, 2010
HISTORIA DEL DISTRITO DE ALCA, 2011, MUNICIPALIDAD DE ALCA