Pumapungo Archaeological Park

The fact that Tomebamba, one of the most imposing and beautiful cities of the antique Inca Empire, was established at the end of the 15th Century on the valley where the city of Cuenca is currently settled, is worldwide known only by few people.

It was founded by Inca Túpac Yupanqui after the victory over the Cañaris and it was, according to some chroniclers, the home of his son Huayna-Cápac, therefore it was considered as a sacred area in which majestic temples and palaces were built.  However, only a little of its antique splendor has remained.  After its destruction during the civil war between the sons of Huayna Cápac (Huascar and Atahualpa), the first Spanish conquerors made it almost disappear from the map, and the beautiful carved rocks that were left from the ruins were used to build the first constructions of the nascent city of Cuenca.  There are only two sites nowadays that serve as testimony of the Incan presence in this land: the Ruinas de Todos Santos (Ruins of All Saints) (where there are also Cañari and Spanish vestiges) and the Pumapungo Archaeological Park.

The Pumapungo Archaeological Site, which is located at one of the ends of the Barranco (Hanging Houses) along the Tomebamba River, was abandoned for a long time and it started to be of interest before the eyes of Science and Culture thanks to the work performed at the beginning of the 20th Century by German Archaeologist Max Ulhe, who settled the basis for later studies and archaeological campaigns that have taken place in this site.  Later, the Central Bank of Ecuador purchased from the Compañia de Jesús (Company of Jesus) the land where the ruins are placed and it started a restoration process in 1981.

Finally, after a long research, planning and restoration work, Pumapungo (which means "Door of the Puma" in the Quechua language) became an "Archaeological Park" in 2003 constituting also a true "Ethno-Botanical" Center conceived with the ancestral Andean vision which considered that everything had a systematic relationship between all parts.  Therefore in Pumapungo, besides the very important archaeology of the site, a recreation of the Andean World can be found, represented by the "Inca´s Garden" (where almost ten thousand plants of four hundred species have been planted), and the "Rescue and Transit Center for Wild Avifauna" where several native birds of Ecuador that have been rescued live together and these represent the totemic animals of the Cañari and Inca Cultures.  There are also vegetable gardens in which the products that were the sustenance of the Inca Culture are grown, products such as corn, quinua, potatoes, fruit trees and medicinal plants, etc.  In a tour throughout the Archaeological Park the visitor will find signs showing the scientific name, characteristics and use of all the species.

Concerning the Archaeology of the place, the structures of almost all buildings that constituted this important administrative and religious neighborhood of the city of Tomebamba, are preserved.  Among these we can observe the foundations of Kallankas or barracks, place from which soldiers kept guard of this sacred site permanently.  On its side is the "Aqlla Wasi" or residence of the "Virgins of the Sun" who were women chosen to serve the Inca and the priests with the elaboration of garments, handcrafts for the worship service to the Sun and the performance of religious rituals.  Further on and facing towards the orient, direction where the Sun comes up from every day is the Quricancha or worship place which has a great panoramic view.  In the upper side are the "External Palaces" where the Cañari caciques probably lived.

The stepped terraces constitute a very attractive element where products related with the worship service to the Sun were planted and the spiritual ascension of the Incas was represented since these started at the bottom next to the gardens and they reached the highest part where the temple was settled.  In this section the entrance to the thirty meter long tunnel can be observed. The tunnel served as a mausoleum and symbolizes the underground world, home of "wacas" (hidden treasures) and the spirits of the ancestors.  In the lower part next to the gardens there are interesting structures that compose a great irrigation channel and a ritual bath destined to the purification of the bodies.  There is also in this space a small lake recently restored, which -according to some chroniclers- used to be part of Pumapungo and was consecrated to the Tiksi Wirachocha god.

The Pumapungo Archaeological Park is a space to serve the community which has the academic support of the UNESCO and where guided visits with students of schools and high schools take place frequently.  The Knowledge Center of Macaws and Serpents has been established and a permanent development and archaeology program is performed with frequent speeches and conferences about the fascinating Andean world.