Huallamarca
    Taking a trip back to civilization and simultaneously to more ancient ruins, I met up with the group from Ithaca College to tour Lima Culture pyramids in within Lima itself. The first, and older (around 200 A.D.), Huaca Huallamarca, was mostly reconstructed, with a huge, straight ramp going up to the top of three platforms. The adobe bricks used to build it were primitive, large round bricks without a uniform shape.
 
 
 
 

Pucllana
    The second pyramid, Huaca Pucllana, was constructed later. For this pyramid, the Lima people used wide, flat adobe bricks, alternately laid vertically or horizontally to make the "library" system. The name is appropriate because the horizontal levels look like shelves and the vertical levels look like books. This structure was interesting because you could clearly see the adobes used to construct it, and archeologists were in the process of excavating structures in the plaza beneath it. Unfortunately, modern civilization has covered most of that plaza area up with buildings and roads. Both huacas were built by the Lima culture, which falls in the Early Intermediate Period.

 
 
 
©2002 Joseph Holler - jholler1@ithaca.edu