Tipón

Article summary

Tipón is a sprawling early fifteenth-century Inca archaeological site that is situated between and above sea level, located southeast of Cusco near the village of Tipón. It consists of several ruins enclosed by a powerful defensive wall about long. The most renowned (and easily accessible) part of the park is the group of precise and right angled monumental terraces irrigated by a network of water canals fed by a monumental fountain channeling water from a natural spring. The site includes ancient residential areas and a remarkable amount of petroglyphs in its upper part. The irrigation system based on canals, fountains and stonework with water drop structures shows that the Incas had an advanced water related technology and were experienced hydraulic engineers. Since the 1970s the area has been excavated and restored. Works are still ongoing (2021). Most probably the Tipón complex was an imperial Inca estate or at least a sort of feudal estate for Inca elite built in the time of Pachacuti or his son, Topa Inca Yupanqui and it is supposed that also ceremonial activities took place in it. The site may have also been used as a laboratory for agricultural products because of the various micro-climates found within the complex, a reliable round-the-year water supply and the fertile soil.…

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