Sayhuite

Sayhuite (Saywite) is an archaeological site 47 kilometres (29 mi) east of the city Abancay in the province Abancay in the region Apurímac in Peru. The site is regarded as a center of religious worship for Inca people, focusing on water. In the Monuments of the Inca by John Hemming, Hemming points to a colonial narrative that describes the interior of the Sayhuite temple. The temple featured larger columns draped in fabrics with gold bands the "thickness of one's hand." The temple was also under the care of the priestess Asarpay who jumped to her death in the nearby 400 meter gorge to avoid capture by Spanish forces.

Monolith

An important feature on the site is the Sayhuite monolith, a rock with more than 200 geometric and zoomorphic figures like reptiles, frogs, and felines. Found at the top of a hill named Concacha, the stone was sculpted into the likeness of a topographical hydraulic model, complete with terraces, ponds, rivers, tunnels, and irrigation channels. The functions or purposes of this mysterious relic are not known, but researcher Dr. Arlan Andrews, Sr., believes that this monolith was used as a scale model to design, develop, test, and document the properties of water flow for public water projects, and to instruct ancient engineers and technicians in the concepts and practices of the craft. The rock was "edited" several times with new material, either altering the paths of the water or adding new paths altogether. About two meters long, and four meters wide, this monolith is the most popular attraction on the archaeological site.