The museum was created in 1999 and displays cultural assets recovered during the 1970s in the Pukara archaeological zone. The collection is especially composed of granite steles and monoliths of zoomorphic and anthropomorphic figures of various formats corresponding to the Pukara culture.
A set of monoliths and lithic sculptures from the Pukara culture are exhibited, which have been classified into three groups: monoliths, stelae and zoomorphic sculptures. You can also see ceramics of various sizes and shapes. Opening hours: Monday-Sunday 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
The Lithical Museum of Pukara, or Pucara, is located in the province of Lampa, in the Puno region. The name given to this museum is due to the fact that in its different exhibition rooms it is responsible for presenting lithic material that was found during excavations in different complexes of the Pucará culture, also because this is the site museum of the Archaeological Complex of the same name. .
The Lithical Museum of Pucará, due to the importance of the material it houses and exhibits, has been part of the Cultural Heritage of the Nation since 2002. This museum, unfortunately, is not in optimal conditions, which is why there is a threat of deterioration of certain pieces it houses.
Among the lithic pieces that the visitor can find in this museum in Pucará, there are pieces such as monoliths, steles and sculptures that have the peculiarity of presenting animal shapes.
Of the aforementioned set, structures such as the “Stele of the Rain”, also called “Stele of the Lightning”, stand out. This piece is 2 meters high and in it the shapes of a fish and a puma are combined; Another important piece in the museum is the so-called “El degollador”, a monolith in which Hatun Ñakaq is represented. This piece is one of the best carved in the complex and is an icon of the fierceness of the Pucará culture, where it can be seen as the idol holds a human head; Although this is considered the most bloodthirsty monolith in the museum complex, it is not the only one it has, and among these there is also the sculpture of a feline devouring the hunt for it. Added to the previous sculptures is “the devourer”, in which cruelty is observed as a man devours a child.
In the Pucará site museum, the visitor will also be able to find, along with more lithic pieces, ceramic remains, also found in the aforementioned archaeological complex. Among the ceramics, you can recognize tableware, plates, qeros, huacos, among many other pieces that allow us to learn a little more about the culture of the Pucara.
To reach the district of Pucará where this museum is located, the traveler has to go through the Panamericana Sur, on the road that connects the towns of Pucará and Puno. The journey between these two cities can be completed in just 2 hours. Already in Pucará you walk for half a block from the main square of this city. The Museum is located just 700 meters from the Pucará Archaeological Complex.
Whoever wants to enter this museum must pay for an entrance ticket whose cost is S/5.50, for the general public. The reduced entrance fee is S/1.00 and the entrance ticket for children is S/0.50. The museum and the complex can be visited any day of the week, from 9 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon. If you wish to visit the museum and the complex with the intention of taking recordings and photographs for commercial purposes, you must request permission from the authorities in charge, and pay for it.
Jr. Lima s/n.
From Tuesday to Sunday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
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