Pachacamac Museum, Lima, Peru

The Pachacamac Site Museum was first established in 1965 and has been in charge of taking care of, investigating, and presenting the archaeological remains recovered within the site.

Entrance to the Pachacamac Museum

Pachacamac Museum Plan
Plan Legend:

Entrance
Location
Ecosystem
The Qhapaq Ñan and the Pilgrimage
Offerings to the deities
The Idol of Pachacamac
Lima culture
Wari culture
Ychsma culture
Inka empire
Quipus
Exit

Location (Plan No. 2)

Pachacamac location
Pachacamac is an archaeological site located in the district of Lurín, in the city of Lima, capital of Peru.

It is located on the right bank of the Lurín River, very close to the Pacific Ocean and facing a group of islands of the same name.

The Qhapaq Ñan and the Pilgrimage (Plan No. 4)

Qhapaq Ñan royal road and the Pilgrimage
The very origin of the Andean civilization is linked to the control of the environment and territorial organization.

The first civilizations built cities, temples, and long-distance comunication routes. These roads outlined development, civilization and integration.
Thousands of years later, the Inka enlarged the Qhapaq Ñan (royal road), an extensive network of roads that unified the empire, which facilitated the administation of the thousands of communities, cities and towns that formed part of the Inka Empire (the Tawantinsuyu).
Armies, chasquis, imperial caravans and Indian peasants, walked through these roads. In the same way, Qhapaq Ñan was the route of the pilgrims who, motivated by religious fervor, come from around the world to worship Pachacamac.

Dog breastfeeding
Late Horizon – Inka (1470 – 1533 CE). Clay. Modeled and applied, 28 cm (11 in) maximum diameter; 26 cm (10 in) height. Style: Chimú Inka. Provenance: Taurichumpi Palace. National Registry No. 13584.

It shows a scene of a female Peruvian hairless dog nursing her puppies. It is a black jug with a semi-spherical body, straight neck, widened rim and flat base. The decoration is applied and is located in the upper middle part of the vessel.
Fine lines can be seen on the dog's face, indicating that it is a variety of Peruvian hairless dog. The paws have marks that could correspond to bracelets.

Tapestry cloths
Late Intermediate (1100 – 1470 CE). Cotton and camelid fiber. Slotted and eccentric tapestry, 31 cm x 32 cm (12.2 in x 12.5 in). Style: Ychsma. Provenance: Surroundings of the Taurichumpi Palace. National Registry No. 89815, 89816, 89817, 89820, 89821.

One of the masterpieces of textile art from the Pachacamac Sanctuary is a series of fine quadrangular tapestries that formed part of the funerary trousseau and the external wrappings of important tombs discovered during excavations in the vicinity of the Palace of Taurichumpi. According to archaeologist Ponciano Paredes, the discovery was made by Alberto Bueno Mendoza as part of a set rescued from a looted cemetery on the western edge of the sanctuary. These are large funerary bundles that have a plain cream-colored cotton cloth wrapping on which the tapestries have been sewn externally. Six of these cloths were found, one of which still remains with the cotton cloth. Field data indicate that it was a bundle from the Inka period; However, these fabrics are believed to be older, since the production of these types of panels is a characteristic of Ychsma fabrics: they appear as exterior decorations on funerary bundles from the late Ychsma period, contemporary with the Inka period. The iconography of the panels is usually designs of characters or fish; the Pachacamac panels present very complex scenes.
The cloths were woven using the slotted and eccentric tapestry technique, with cotton warps and camelid fibre wefts dyed in red, yellow, brown, pink, ochre and cream. In the ceremony depicted, a central character can be distinguished in a frontal position, represented in pairs, one on top of the other, in each panel. The colours of the characters and the background alternate: when the cloth is red, the character is yellow and ochre; if the background of the cloth is yellow, the character is red and ochre.
The central figure wears a headdress with a serrated crescent moon, very similar to those used by the Chimú deities - due to this reason it is thought that this piece is highly influenced by northern iconography. He wears a triangular skirt with a serrated design and earmuffs. His open arms culminate in open hands, on which there are synthetic representations of fish.
The central figures are accompanied by lower-ranking figures on each side, wearing a tubular headdress, earmuffs and triangular clothing. These secondary figures carry a quadrangular element in one hand and the same element on their feet. Next to them are birds with long necks and wide tails that look upwards, and on their bodies there are diamond-shaped designs. It can be said that they surround the upper figure. On each side is a simplified trophy head and a fruit. The composition is completed by triangular-shaped fish with fins, a long tail and a central point representing the eye. They are placed in the hands of the central figures, although they are also repeated indistinctly.
The scene is surrounded by a brown border with consecutive curved designs. The iconography corresponds to a mythical scene possibly referring to the presentation of offerings to the divinity.

Sculptural bottles
Late Horizon (1470 – 1533 CE). Ceramic. Modeled and painted. Chimú-Inka style. Origin: Pyramid with Ramp No. 3 of Pachacamac. National Registry No. 152680, 152681.

Sculptural bottles in the Chimú-Inka style, found in an important funerary context from the Inka period, when the Pyramid with Ramp No. 3 had already been abandoned.
The pair of almost identical vessels probably represent aspects of Andean duality.

Wooden figure
Late Intermediate Period (1000 – 1476 CE). Wood. Carved, 35 cm x 15 cm (14 in x 6 in). Style: Chimú. Origin: Second Wall. National Registry No. 146722.

This Chimú-style sculpture represents a standing male figure. The face is flat, with a curved and protruding nose and rounded eyes and ears. His arms and hands extend forward but are cut off, especially on the right side. The shoulders do not have symmetrical contours: the right one is straight while the left is semi-curved. The legs are straight and he does not seem to be wearing shoes. He wears a loincloth and a trapezoidal headdress with a kind of tie around the face. Some cavities and the remains of a dark resin used as glue are evidence of rectangular and circular inlays in the eyes, ears and body.
This type of sculpture is commonly known as the Chimú Idol and has been found twice before in Pachacamac. Uhle found the first of these in a cemetery on the outskirts of the sanctuary, and this piece is the one that most closely resembles the one in the group of masterpieces. Another similar sculpture dressed in an unku and loincloth comes from the Sun temple. Both are standing and emulate the upright position with the arms extended and cut.
Researchers Santiago Uceda and Margaret Jackson believe that figures of this type would not have been used to be worshipped or venerated. Based on the gestures and the association between various groups of figures on platforms, both suggest that they represent a role within scenes or symbolic representations of ceremonies and rites of worship of the dead and ancestors.

Middle Horizon period
Both Pucará and Tiwanaku were early forms of what became known as the Middle Horizon, an expansion of multiple-valley political rule that had two centres: one in the southern Altiplano, the other centred on Huari (Wari), near the modern Peruvian city of Ayacucho.

This development is usually dated about 600 CE.
Some Tiwanaku effigy vessels have been discovered at Huari, but otherwise they seem to have been independent entities.

Decorated bowl
Middle Horizon (600 – 1100 CE). Ceramic. Modeled and painted. Wari - Pachacamac style. Origin: Pyramid with Ramp No. 13 of Pachacamac. National Registry No. 142535.

During the Wari Empire, the central coast acquired a singular importance due to the presence of the sanctuary.
The “Wari Pachacamac” style appeared, in which the representation of an icon or deity predominates in the form of a flying character, called the griffin of Pachacamac.
The character is in a profile position, wearing a headdress, an eagle face, an anthropomorphic body, wings and a tail.
It is represented in bowls, glasses and bottles, sometimes in a complete manner and other times in a geometric and very simplified manner.
The Wari Pachacamac style was distributed between the northern coast and Ica, with its main center being Pachacamac.

Cara-gollete bottle
Cara-gollete (meaning “face-necked”). Epigonal style. Middle Horizon period. 7th - 11th century CE.

For lack of a better term we designate as the "epigonal style" the cultural type which, though closely related to that of Tiahuanaco, is inferior to its famous prototype in almost every respect.
Objects of this kind predominate in the tombs found beneath the covered part of the early cemetery.
Among these utensils are especially abundant; certain kinds of these specimens occur equally in all periods, such as work baskets, while others are peculiar to this particular period, among which are certain types of pottery, textiles, some carved wooden sticks, spinning wheels, and ornaments of shell, bone, or teeth.

Offerings to the deities (Plan No. 5)

Offerings to the deities
During the Middle Horizon period (600 – 1100 CE) the city of Wari gained importance and became the seat of the Wari state. In this process, between the years 750 to 1100, Pachacamac was a center of religious power whose gods were strongly related to Wari. Some time before, at the beginning of this society, large buildings of small handmade adobes had been built on the central coast, which were abandoned after a series of rituals related to the sealing of these large structures. The sealing is a pre-Hispanic custom that was carried out when expanding or renovating buildings. The action consisted of completely cleaning the space, leaving an offering and filling the entire structure to form a new and higher level.

In the 1980s, the Wiese Foundation and the National Institute of Culture conducted important studies in Pachacamac, focusing on the Old Temple, an ancient structure of small cubic adobes dating from 200 to 600 CE. One of the most significant discoveries of this project was made at the top of the Old Temple of Pachacamac, where centuries ago a group of 145 anthropomorphic, ichthyomorphic, phytomorphic and zoomorphic bottles, as well as double-spouted and bridge-handled bottles, glasses, bowls and mugs were deposited and partially broken within a propitiatory rite. The tradition of depositing vessels and eventually breaking them is a characteristic of the Wari and can be seen at the site of Conchopata, near Wari, Ayacucho.
The quantity and variety of the pieces makes this set one of the most important contexts of ceramic offerings found on the coast. The colours of the vessels are black, cream, maroon and grey on an orange background. The finish has a smooth surface texture, a lustrous appearance and faint striations that indicate the direction of the polish. A few examples are covered by a very uniform, consistent orange slip, with a smooth surface and a matte texture and appearance.
The anthropomorphic bottles have a double chamber, a spout and a bridge handle. They show drinking figures, figures facing forward, human heads decorated with designs of bands, blades, circles and lines. The ichthyomorphic bottles have a double spout and a bridge handle and represent a great variety of sculptural fish with designs of thick and thin lines. There are also representations of a marine mammal - probably an otter - and seashells. Also found were bottles with representations of birds and felines, double-bodied bottles with a bridge handle that end in seabird heads and phytomorphic bottles with representations of the cucumber fruit, corn, chili pepper and squash. The set is completed by vessels with straight and divergent walls and a flat base and present human faces with geometric designs, bowls decorated with circles and bowls with designs in the Wari Pachacamac style.

Fish offerings
Middle Horizon (600 - 1100 CE). Clay. Modeled and painted. Style: Wari Pachacamac. Origin: Old Temple of Pachacamac.

The fish are distinguished by their anatomical features. We can see species from the shore as well as from deep waters and warm seas. This leads us to think that it would be an offering related to a strong climate change event, such as the El Niño phenomenon.
Another possible interpretation of this unique collection is related to an Andean legend collected in the 17th century, according to which fish formerly inhabited exclusively the pond of the deity Urpiwachaq, who aroused the anger of Coniraya Viracocha and he decided to throw them into the sea, populating it.

Lambayeque rug
National Registry No. 117311.

The weavers of the Lambayeque culture are characterized by fine spinning and the use of cotton and polychrome wool wefts in the making of their tapestries.
The decoration of their textiles generally shows characters performing ceremonies, similar to those that appear in mural paintings and the friezes of some buildings on the northern coast.
Many textiles corresponding to this style have been found on the central coast, especially in Ancón and Pachacamac.
Although the conservation of textiles on the northern coast is not optimal due to the rains produced by the El Niño phenomenon, in the central zone, textile pieces have been found in a good state of conservation.
These textiles are evidence of the frequent contacts that occurred between the northern coast and the central coast and of the influence of the Lambayeque society on the central coast.

Fragment of Ychsma uncu
National Registry No. 206260.

Uncu was a upper-body garment of knee-length similar to a long tunic, ranging between 84 and 100 cm (33 and 39 in), with a 72-79 cm (28-31 in) width range. However, the length of the highland and coastal garments was different; Uncu in the highland were sleeveless and longer than the coastal tunic.
Kings, nobles, and ordinary people all wore Uncu. The design and motifs for these dresses were rank-, cultural-, and event-specific.

Fragment of carpet with drawing of character with staffs
Middle Horizon (600–1100 CE). Textile. Cotton and camelid fiber. Slotted and eccentric tapestry. 47 x 44 cm (18 x 17 in). Lambayeque style. Provenance: Huaca Malena, Asia Valley. Huaca Malena Museum Collection. National Registry No. 207491.

Fragment of an uncu made into a tapestry, where the repetitive representation of a character in a frontal position stands out, wearing an elaborate headdress, earmuffs, facial paint, and carrying a staff in each hand. This coastal textile combines the Wari tradition with features from the northern coast.
The God of Staffs, also known as the God of Wands, is an important deity in Andean cultures. He is usually depicted holding a staff in each hand, with fanged teeth and outstretched, clawed legs; his other characteristics are unknown, although he is often depicted with his staffs of feathered serpents.
He was said to be able to transform anything into a staff and acquire its power. He would then share the transformed object with his followers; in this way, he provided support to the people.
There are scholars who maintain that the Wari-Tiwanaku Staff God is the forerunner of the Inkan principal gods, Sun, Moon, and Thunder. It served as the primary religious icon of the entire Peruvian Andes, particularly during the Early Horizon (900-200 BC) and beyond. The worship of Staff Gods spread to the Central Andes during the Middle Horizon (600-1000 CE).

The Idol of Pachacamac (Plan No. 6)

Spondylus shells
Marine species from the equatorial tropical ocean. Also known as “mullu", quechua word that also refers to powdered shells, turned into red powder and used in important rituals. These pieces were found as an offering in the Old Temple of Pachacamac.

Spondylus crassisquama is found off the coast of Colombia and Ecuador and has been important to Andean peoples since pre-Columbian times, serving as both an offering to the Pachamama and as currency. In fact, the Spondylus shells also reached far and wide, as pre-Hispanic Ecuadorian peoples traded them with peoples as far north as present-day Mexico and as far south as the central Andes. The Moche people of ancient Peru regarded the sea and animals as sacred; they used Spondylus shells in their art and depicted Spondylus in effigy pots.
Spondylus shells were the driving factor of trade within the Central Andes and were used in a similar manner to gold nuggets, copper hatches, coca, salt, red pepper, and cotton cloth.
The use of Spondylus shells is what led to an economy of sorts in the Central Andes and led to the development of a merchant class, "mercardes", in different cultures within the Central Andes. This caused the development of different styles of trade that went through evolutionary changes throughout pre-Columbian times. These are reciprocity (home based), reciprocity (boundary), down-the-line trade, central place (redistribution), central place (market exchange), emissary trading, and port of trade. These modes of trade dictate the way that the Spondylus shells are traded, as well as who is benefiting the most from the trades. Modes such as central place (redistribution) require the entity that is the central place to be the one that gains the most benefit from the trade, and modes such as emissary trading and port of trade are the modes that started the "mercardes" class within the Central Andes.

Pachacamac gate
Late Intermediate Period (1100 – 1470 CE). Cotton cloth, wooden rods, plant fiber cords, Spondylus princeps shells. Interlacing and appliqué, 113 x 74 x 8 cm (44 x 29 x 3 in). Provenance: Painted Temple. National Registry No. 104706.

The Painted Temple or Temple of Pachacamac is one of the most emblematic buildings of the archaeological sanctuary of Pachacamac. Its symbolic importance lies in the fact that it probably housed the idol of Pachacamac, the main deity of this sanctuary, as stated in the chronicles of Estete and Hernando Pizarro in their descriptions of this temple and the first visits made to it. In addition, the Painted Temple is an important witness to the pre-Hispanic occupation that lasted more than 1,500 years and was the scene of the historic encounter between the Spanish conquerors and the Andean populations of the central coast.
In 1938, cleaning work was carried out and the carved piece that was probably the idol of Pachacamac and the door that preceded its view were found. This door was the last obstacle that had to be overcome to enter the enclosure where the oracle of Pachacamac was located.
The door of the temple is rectangular in shape and its frame is made up of forty-seven thin pieces of wood, arranged vertically and covered with interlaced cotton threads. The frame is covered by two plain cloths made of cream-coloured cotton (Gossypium barbadense), sewn on the sides and held in place by cords of plant fibre at the edge of the upper edge. Each cloth is one side of the door, decorated in a different way. In the section that has been considered the external face of the door, twenty-four Spondylus princeps valves and a fragment stand out. All these pieces are held to the cloth with cotton threads, linked to four perforations that can be seen in each valve.
The inner side, whose decoration would have been more prolific, shows quadrangular imprints left by metal strips, which were attached to the textile by means of cotton threads, several of which are still visible. On this side there are remains of red pigment, which probably come from cinnabar. The iconography is composed of several elements that are articulated around a large disk, which in turn has a series of smaller internal elements. In the lower intermediate space there are fish arranged in rows, with their mouths facing downwards, and a line of “octopuses” approximately ten in number. The superimposed row has figures of fish, apparently two on each side, and a figure that could be that of a sea lion. Another element that stands out in the center of this row is a bird with folded wings and its head pointing towards the central disk. Its size is larger than the average of the objects present and it connects with the middle part of the door, where the objects that surround the disk are located.

The Idol of Pachacamac
Middle Horizon (600 - 1100 CE). Wood. Carved, 234 cm (92 in) high x 22 cm (9 in) diameter. Style: Wari. Provenance: Painted Temple of Pachacamac. National Registry No. 1434.

One of the most important archaeological pieces in the country is the wooden sculpture called the Idol of Pachacamac. Its dimensions, decorative aspects, integrity and good state of preservation of the piece and, especially, the fact that it may represent one of the main deities of pre-Inkan Peru: Pachacamac, make it a masterpiece.
It was the Inkas who gave it the name Pachacamac, God of the Earth, because it was said that he was the one who produced the earthquakes. Previously it was called Ychsma, like the province made up of the valleys of Rímac and Lurín, and its main headquarters were in Pachacamac. Archaeological studies carried out on the site indicate that the place was made up of a series of monumental buildings, like temples, which predate the Inka occupation by centuries. Examples of this are the Painted Temple or Temple of Pachacamac, where the shrine would have been located, which dates from the end of the Middle Horizon, and the Old Temple, prior to the Temple of Pachacamac (from 200 to 600 CE), where a series of offerings from different periods have been found, from Wari to the Inka era.
In their writings, the Spaniards indicate that the idol was made of wood, was buried in the ground and was carved with a fierce figure that commanded respect. One of them, the chronicler Miguel de Estete, points out that “…there was a piece of wood, buried in the ground, with a figure of a man made on its head, badly carved and badly formed, and at its foot, and around it, many little things of gold and silver that had been offered for many years, and buried in that earth…”. He later adds that the idol could not be seen and one could only speak to the priests after a severe fast that lasted between a month and a year.
The Pachacamac idol is a cylindrical sculpture carved in three-quarters of its diameter. It has a height of 2.34 m (92.1 in), an average width of 21 cm (8.2 in) and a circumference of 17 cm (6.7 in). Its structure was divided into three distinct sections: an upper section, a central body and a lower body. The latter (56 x 13 cm, 22 x 5 in), also cylindrical in shape, is the only one that does not have decoration.
The upper section (56 x 21 cm, 22 x 8 in) shows the carved effigy of a two-faced individual standing, whose faces look in opposite directions, forming two characters joined at the back. Each half has its own attributes that differentiate it, such as the headdress, face, torso, skirt, legs, ankles and feet.
Character A has a headdress in the form of a plume composed of a series of opposing arches emerging from a central rectangle, under which appears a headband without decoration. In addition, he wears disc-shaped earmuffs. The face shows a prominent nose, eyes and ears and the mouth displays teeth. On the torso he wears a pectoral supported by two animal heads (fox?) in whose mouths appear small representations of corn cobs. From the shoulders hang two forked ribbons attached to discs (probably bolas, a type of throwing weapon). The skirt has a sash with serrated designs, under which four corn cobs are represented followed by a simple band. The anklets have a serrated design similar to the sash or belt.
Character B has a headdress decorated with six fox heads arranged vertically from bottom to top, under which two flat bands without decoration appear. The face is similar to that of character A. On the torso there are two serrated vertical bands placed in parallel. The skirt has a simple, undecorated sash and ends in four fox heads facing downwards. The legs and ankles are decorated with a design similar to that of character A's headdress.
Both characters only have their right arms. In it they carry objects that are consistent with the set of elements that adorn them: character A carries a bola and character B carries two fox heads similar to those on his headdress. To summarize, it can be said that character A is substantially marked by corn cobs and ears of corn on his skirt, torso and headdress respectively, while character B carries almost exclusively fox heads on his headdress, skirt, right hand, torso and legs.
The central body (121 x 17 cm, 48 x 7 in) presents a set of figures organized in a complex iconographic pattern that extends across the entire cylindrical surface of the pole. It is a complex scene consisting of six horizontal segments that show different compositions of snakes, feline heads, corn plants, upright figures with headdresses or serrated staffs in their hands, among others. According to Camilo Dolorier, the central body of the idol includes a presentation scene, an offering scene, and an augury scene where the main character is the god of corn.
The depictions described correspond to an iconographic corpus typical of the coast with a strong influence from the northern coast and Wari: the serrated arch with feline heads appears in iconography from the Moche to the Wari cultures and felines with a curved profile are represented in textiles from the northern and central coast. Thus, the Idol of Pachacamac is a complete iconographic context of the Middle Horizon.

Cult of the dead

False funerary heads
Wari-Pachacamac and Early Ychsma styles. Middle Horizon and early Late Intermediate period. 7th — 12th centuries CE.

In ancient Peru, death was a very important stage, considered the continuity of life within another world. Therefore, the cult of the dead involved the organization of a variety of rites that expressed great respect for the deceased. For example, during the Inka period, mummies continued to have the same rights and attention as they had in life.
During the Middle Horizon period (700 – 1100 CE), the Wari imposed drastic changes on the societies they conquered and the cult of the dead had a special meaning. Thus, the large tombs discovered on the coast have a special characteristic. They are large funerary bundles that are dressed with fine tapestry tunics and that have a false head made of wood or fabric on top. In some cases they have shell inlays and in others they are painted and have metal sheets attached to them that represent eyes, nose and tears.
In 1896, Max Uhle discovered an important Wari cemetery at Pachacamac and noticed that the main tombs contained funerary bundles with false heads of both types. This cemetery is located in front of the Temple of Pachacamac and is one of the largest and densest known. Uhle, like other researchers, thinks that all people of the time wanted to be buried near the temple of the most important god of the coast, and for this reason the main Wari figures buried their dead in that place. Later the Ychsma emulated the Wari and placed thousands of dead in the same cemetery.
The false heads of Pachacamac are distinguished by their simplicity and the visual impact they produce. They are wooden carvings that represent a trapezoidal face and have a rectangular handle. They have corners on the face, an aquiline nose and oval eyes with shell inlays. The face represented probably personified the buried individual or an ancestor.
Masks with similar characteristics, which humanize the funerary bundle, have also been found in Chancay, Ancón, the Chillón Valley, the Rímac Valley and the Lurín Valley, within Wari funerary contexts. Uhle, who describes the false heads in detail, indicates that the cloth ones belonged to lower-ranking figures while those made of wood belonged to important figures.

Wig with braided hair
Wari style. Middle Horizon period. 7th - 11th century CE. Origin: Cerro de Oro.

Stone canopas
Middle Horizon period. 7th - 11th century CE.

Sacred stone (Huaca)
Material: Volcanic rock. Late Horizon period. 15th - 16th century CE.

In the Quechuan languages of South America, a huaca or wak'a is an object that represents something revered, typically a monument of some kind.
The term huaca can refer to natural locations, such as immense rocks.
Some huacas have been associated with veneration and ritual. The Quechua people traditionally believed every object has a physical presence and two camaquen (spirits), one to create it and another to animate it. They would invoke its spirits for the object to function.

Lima culture (Plan No. 7)

Sculptural vessel
Nievería style. Middle Horizon period. 7th - 11th centuries CE. Origin: Rímac Valley.

Phytomorphic vessel
Nievería style. Middle Horizon period. 7th - 11th centuries CE. Origin: Rímac Valley.

Decorated jug
Late Lima style. Middle Horizon period. 7th - 11th centuries CE.

Zoomorphic jug
Nievería style. Middle Horizon period. 7th - 11th centuries CE. Origin: Rímac Valley.

Wari culture (Plan No. 8)

Shirt fragment (Uncu)
Wari style. Middle Horizon period. 7th - 11th centuries CE. Provenance: Huaca Malena, Asian valley. Collection: Museo Huaca Malena.

Wooden trumpet
Wari-Pachacamac style. Middle Horizon period. 7th - 11th century CE.

Decorated double-spout bottle
Wari-Pachacamac style. Middle Horizon period. 7th - 11th century CE.

Decorated pitcher
Wari-Atarco style. Middle Horizon period. 7th - 11th century CE.

Zoomorphic vessel
Wari-Atarco style. Middle Horizon period. 7th - 11th centuries CE.

Anthropomorphic jug
Wari-Conchopata style. Middle Horizon period. 7th - 11th centuries CE.

Ceremonial urn
Conchopata style. Middle Horizon period. 7th - 11th centuries CE. Origin: Conchopata, Ayacucho.

Ychsma culture (Plan No. 9)

Ychsma culture
With the breakup of the Wari Empire, several small kingdoms and confederations were created. Over time, two cultures came to dominate the region, the Chancay culture to the north of Lima, and the Ychsma culture to the south.

The Ychsma people inhabited Pachacamac and continued the growth and influence of the city. The Ychsma people constructed at least 16 pyramids in Pachacamac.
A number of cultural and human remains have been discovered in various Ychsma sites. In 2012, excavation in the Pachacamac site yielded a burial chamber with more than 80 mummified remains, and a dozen infant remains. Along with the skeletons, this site also contained various artifacts, including ceramic wares, jewellery, and animal remains.

Pot with decorative handle
Chimú-Inka style. Late Horizon period. 15th - 16th centuries CE.

Zoomorphic sculpture
Ychsma style. Late Horizon period. 15th - 16th centuries CE.

Two-front sculptures
Ychsma style. Late Intermediate period. 12th - 15th centuries CE.

Female Sculpture
Ychsma style. Late Horizon period. 15th - 16th centuries CE.

Decorated jug
Early Ychsma style. Late Intermediate period. 12th - 15th centuries CE.

Cara-gollete jar
Ychsma style. Late Horizon period. 15th - 16th centuries CE.

Anthropomorphic pitcher
Ychsma style. Late Horizon period. 15th - 16th centuries CE.

Inka empire (Plan No. 10)

Inka ceramics
Throughout the empire, the Inkas established administrative centres and a complex network of roads that linked the territory. The local elites of the towns dominated by the Inkas received the fine Inka pottery and, as part of the acculturation process, began to adopt the designs of Inka pottery and weaving, including them in their local culture.

Inka style polychrome vessels from Pachacamac have up to four colours. The most common are black, cream and dark red on a cream, orange or soft red base.
Modelling in the Inka polychrome style is often limited to the edges of the aryballs and the effigy handles for the plates with naturalistic shapes.

Decorated aryballos
Inka and Inka Provincial styles. Late Horizon period. 15th - 16th centuries CE.

Decorated aryballos
Inka style. Late Horizon period. 15th - 16th centuries CE.

It can be safely said that the aryballos is the most characteristic form and is reported in various points of the Inka empire, from Machu Picchu to Pachacamac.

Footwear
Footwear made of vegetable and cotton fiber, probably left by pilgrims who used to visit the sanctuary of Pachacamac.

In Pachacamac they appear as offerings or as part of the funerary trousseau, mainly of adults.
At least four types have been found: leather sole with camelid fiber ties; structure of vegetal fiber; cotton fabric and vegetal fiber sole; and body or upper of cotton fiber.
Most of the sandals or “ojotas” found in Pachacamac date from the Inka period.

Decorative sash (top)
Inka style. Late Horizon Period. 15th - 16th centuries CE.

Decorated plates
Ychsma-Inka style. Late Horizon period. 15th - 16th centuries CE.

Ornithomorphic plate (left) and Decorated plate (right)

Ornithomorphic plate - Ychsma-Inka style. Late Horizon period. 15th - 16th centuries CE.
Decorated plate - Provincial Inka style. Late Horizon period. 15th - 16th centuries CE.

Decorated plate (left) and Ceremonial dice (right)

Decorated plate - Provincial Inka style. Late Horizon period. 15th - 16th centuries CE.
Ceremonial dice - Inka style. Late Horizon period. 15th - 16th centuries CE.