Just 8 kilometers from the city of Cajamarca, in the Baños del Inca district, is the famous archaeological site The Windows of Otuzco. With an antiquity that dates back to the first centuries of our era, this pre-Inca necropolis stands out in the middle of the nature of the northern part of the mountains of Peru and has become one of the most attractive tourist sites in the department of Cajamarca.
The Windows of Otuzco are a set of funerary buildings that are located 2,650 meters above sea level. They have a particular architecture that presents hundreds of individual windows and funerary niches similar to windows, drilled into rock of volcanic origin that reach between 8 and 10 meters deep. Its entrances are rectangular or quadrangular in shape, with a height of 50 to 60 centimeters.
This archaeological site would be a cemetery belonging to the Cajamarca culture (200 AD -800 AD), the same one that had the ritual of burying its dead in niches excavated in rock at the top of the ravines in the area.
Regarding burials, the deceased were first buried in the ground, and after some time, some bones and skulls were deposited in niches carved into the rocks of Otuzco, possibly for veneration purposes. For this reason, it is believed that these crypts were used for a second burial, since no complete skeletons have been found.
Among its most important characteristics, it stands out that these holes lead to a corridor that connects to the heart of the rock mass where there are more niches, mostly simple, although there are also multiple niches that constitute passages with lateral niches.
As a legend, it is said that through some windows you can enter dark and mysterious galleries, whose unattainable end inspired man's imagination to create secret passages that would link Cajamarca with the department of Cusco.
Preserved since 1993 by the National Institute of Culture, the Otuzco Windows have 337 niches or windows. The archaeological site is surrounded by vegetation such as prickly pears and leaves, located on a rugged terrace, representing a preserved ecology and very attractive for tourism.
The Windows of Otuzco were investigated and described for the first time by Julio César Tello, who is considered the 'Father of Peruvian Archaeology'. Among the most important finds is a human burial, belonging to a child of approximately 12 years of age, which was found in a fetal position, without any type of metallic or ceramic evidence. For safety and conservation reasons, it was extracted from the niche using special burial techniques and subsequently subjected to its respective study.
It is a cemetery built, like the Ventanillas de Combayo, by the Cajamarca Culture. This shows, at an architectural level, the work of excavations that have been carried out in live rock (trachyte rock) in the cliffs of the hill itself and that, like its counterpart building on the San Cristóbal hill, is divided into overlapping rows. of niches. These niches, in turn, are presented in two ways: simple, where only a quadrangular or rectangular structure is observed; and in the form of galleries, that is, niches connected inside, to each other. It is worth mentioning that in this construction the presence of gutters is also observed; these would be present for the purpose of conservation of the niches since they would prevent, through their drainage purpose, the humidity caused by the stagnant water from the rain from greatly damaging the building. .
The cavity of the niches is approximately 50 to 60 centimeters, although the connected sets have a total depth of between 8 to 10 meters. It is believed that at an ornamental level they may have originally had a tombstone with the presence of reliefs, although the work of the niches itself already represents excellent craftsmanship.
It is believed that the remains found in this necropolis had been previously exhumed and transferred, since the bone remains observed in the excavations give evidence of having been cleaned in advance. Sites like this would have meant for the Cajamarca culture, a place not only funerary, but also ritual, a symbol of their cult of the dead and ancestors.
Normally the climate in the district of Baños del Inca varies between semi-dry, temperate and semi-cold, with an average maximum temperature of 22 °C and a minimum of 5 °C. The ideal season to visit the Ventanillas de Otuzco is from May to September, which corresponds to a time of year with little rain.
To get to the Ventanillas de Otuzco you can take a public transportation unit or a private tour of the Plaza de Armas of Cajamarca, the car trip takes approximately 15 minutes from the city center.
In order for the visitor to reach the Ventanillas de Otuzco, they must leave from the City of Cajamarca to the place for a 15-minute bus ride. There is also the possibility of cycling to the site, enjoying the view of the road even more. Entry to the place requires payment of a ticket, the cost of which is s/3.50 for adults and s/1.50 for students. And visiting hours are from 8 in the morning until six in the afternoon.
The well-known Archaeological Complex of Cumbemayo is a forest of stones that have enormous lithic figures, called Frailones, because they resemble a procession of friars.
Now, if you want to learn much more about this Cumbemayo complex, stay and read this article in its entirety, and start living an adventure exploring this wonderful place that you can visit at some point in your life.
Cajamarca is one of the incredible places that you find in Peru, and that you can enjoy in tourism with magical adventures to live, thanks to the wonders that you find in any area of Cumbemayo Cajamarca.
It is not difficult at all to make a trip to any other place. However, this is only possible when you know how to carry out your exploration plans. First of all, you must have all the necessary information, such as the location and arrival at the Cumbemayo Complex.
This is what you should know about how to get to Cumbemayo. You must take the road to Chetilla from Cajamarca along Avenida Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. On the same route you will travel through several town centers until you reach eighteen kilometers.
At this kilometer is where you will make a detour to the right. This twenty kilometer trip to Cumbemayo will take at least fifty minutes using a paved road.
One of the main attractions and reasons to visit Cajamarca is the incomparable Cumbemayo Archaeological Forest. And, in a description of the Cumbemayo landscape, it can be said that in this forest you will find stones that usually imitate the contours of friars.
This wonderful place is surrounded by varied and extensive vegetation. The site has a temperate climate, excellent for taking a tour and learning about the legend of Cumbemayo so famous in the place.
You have learned some things about tourism and adventure in the Cumbemayo Stone Forest, it is time for you to continue learning much more. And, to do this, you just have to continue visiting us whenever you want and thus fill yourself with good knowledge.
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