Archaeologists in Peru find a hidden Inca tunnel network, known as the Chinkana, beneath the city of Cusco. The extensive underground passages stretch over 1,750 meters and connect several significant sites, including the Temple of the Sun (Coricancha) and the fortress of Sacsayhuamán.
The discovery was announced at a press conference on Monday, in the Municipality of Cusco. Archaeologists Jorge Calero Flores and Mildred Fernández Palomino led the research team that confirmed the existence of this ancient network. "We have analyzed documents from the 16th and 17th centuries; the chronicler Anello de Oliva indicates to us that there were many underground passages; an anonymous chronicler tells us that it passed beside the Cathedral, that is, the archbishop's houses; then he says that it is beside Sacsayhuamán; all that has helped to locate the trace," Calero stated, as reported by El País.
The first clue about the Chinkana came from an anonymous Jesuit chronicle from 1600, which provided key information about the tunnel's layout. The chronicle detailed that the entrance to this cave was located at the fortress of Sacsayhuamán. Other historical chronicles also mentioned the existence of the tunnel network.
הצגת פוסט זה באינסטגרם
To verify these historical accounts, the researchers consulted historian Manuel Chávez Ballón, known as the father of archaeology in Cusco. Ballón advised the team to look under the roads in the city, especially under the sidewalks, as reported by GreekReporter.com. Using this guidance, the team began their investigation.
The research involved several phases. Initially, they conducted sound tests by striking a metal plate against the ground every 50 centimeters along the suspected path, which helped identify areas of deeper resonance indicating hollow chambers, according to IFLScience. "The intensity of the echo indicated where there was a hollow structure, such as a tunnel," the team noted.
In the next phase, they employed advanced technology, including ground-penetrating radar and acoustic prospecting, to map out the tunnel system more accurately. These radars emit electromagnetic waves to capture images of the tunnel's interior, as detailed by El País. This technology confirmed the existence of the Chinkana and identified the main stretch of tunnel connecting Coricancha to Sacsayhuamán.
The Chinkana tunnel network consists of enormous trenches lined with stone walls, ceilings, and carved stone beams. "The cavity would be from one meter to 2.60 meters wide by 1.60 meters high. We suspect that the Inca could have been carried in litters through there," Calero explained.
The tunnel system has three branches: one leading to Callispuquio, another to the Muyucmarca sector in Sacsayhuamán, and a third crossing the temple of San Cristóbal, as reported by GreekReporter.com. The tunnel passes through the Sacsayhuamán promenade near a pre-Hispanic road and aligns with the massive stone walls of Sacsayhuamán.
Archaeologist Mildred Fernández told reporters that she and her team plan to access the tunnels soon. "Now we have to excavate at key points to be able to enter the Chinkana—perhaps in March or April," she said, as reported by IFLScience. The researchers have sent a document requesting authorization to the Ministry of Culture and other governmental bodies to make drill holes in Sacsayhuamán to verify their investigations.
Cusco, once the administrative, political, and military capital of the powerful Inca Empire in the 15th century before being conquered by the Spanish, holds significant historical importance. The discovery of the Chinkana could shed new light on Inca engineering and urban planning.
The existence of these underground passages has been a topic of speculation for centuries. In his work 'Comentarios Reales de los Incas,' Garcilaso de la Vega mentions that underground streets and avenues connected the fortress of Sacsayhuamán and the temple of Coricancha, as reported by El País. An ancient anonymous text explains: "It is a very deep cave made by the Inca kings, which crosses the whole city and has its entrance at the fortress of Sacsayhuamán, and descends from the high part to the low part of the hill and the town or parish of San Cristóbal, and exits where what is now Santo Domingo."
The team is now determined to find the tunnel network's remaining segments.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.