Pikillaqta

Pikillaqta (Quechua piki flea, llaqta a place (village, town, community, country, nation), "flea place", hispanicized and mixed spellings Piki Llacta, Pikillacta, Piquillacta, Piquillaqta) is a large Wari culture archaeological site 20 km east of Cusco in the Quispicanchi Province.

Pikillaqta is a village of the Wari people. Wari was the center village and other cities like Pikillaqta were influenced from it. The Wari also inhabited many other sites around the area. The site was occupied from about 550 to 1100AD. Its main use was for ceremonies and the site was not complete when it was abandoned.

Geography and Environment

The Pikillaqta site is located in low ridges in the eastern Valley of Cuzco. (McEwan 2005:29) The area is hilly with no rivers, but small lakes are located near the city. The area is grassy, rocky, and sandy where the buildings were built. The site is 3,250 meters above sea level and is in the Lucre Basin. The climate in the area of Pikillaqta is cold and dry. Mid April through October is the dry season. November starts the wet season and the weather is milder and that goes until mid April. The average temperature high is in the 60’s and the average temperature low is in the 30’s and 40’s year round in the Valley of Cusco. The rainfall averages 11.5 inches a month in the wet season and 4.2 inches a month in the dry season.