Huamachuco

STOREROOMS AND TERRACES

On the hills to the south and southwest of Huamachuco are Inca structures in varying states of preservation (fig. 2.3); for a more complete discussion, see Topic and Chiswell (1992). Rows of colcas (storerooms) were first recognized by the project in 1981 and test excavations were conducted in 1982 and 1983. The greatest number are on Cerro Santa Barbara, where the fragmentary remains of five parallel terraces are arranged along the contours of the hill. Four of the terraces have some preserved colcas on them. The uppermost terrace has 26 to 27 colcas on it, but preservation of the lower terraces is worse. The second terrace has at least 18 colcas, the third has about 12 poorly preserved colcas, the fourth has only parts of 6 recognizable colcas, and the fifth terrace now has no preserved buildings. We estimate that there originally may have been about 125 colcas on this hill. Cerro Mamorco has three sets of colcas, totaling about 60 rooms; all three sets are at about the same elevation, extending along the side of the hill for a kilometer. On Cerro Cacañan there is one row of 23 to 26 structures. Two radiocarbon assays were run on samples from Santa Barbara, with results of A.D. 1475 ± 65 and A.D. 1550 ± 75.

Just to the west of the storerooms on Cerro Santa Barbara is a set of agricultural terraces, which have been only briefly surveyed as yet. Air photos from 1952 indicated the presence of stone facings, but these have since been largely dismantled. As usual, it is very difficult to date these agricultural terraces, but their location near storerooms and the town of Huamachuco suggests a Late Horizon date.

The exterior dimensions of the colcas range from about 4 by 5 meters to 4 by 8 meters. The preserved walls are constructed of pirca masonry, but the upper parts of walls may also have incorporated adobe. Three structures on Cerro Mamorco have small trapezoidal doors preserved, facing downslope. These structures, unlike other known Inca colcas, are never conjoined; instead, each is separated from the others by 1 to 5 meters of open space. Also unusual is the fact that no sherds of large storage vessels are associated with the buildings. Test excavations were carried out at selected colcas on all three hills, and two distinct types were noted:

1. Elevated colcas. This type of storeroom was raised off the ground on a foundation consisting of three parallel walls. The two outer walls served as both the short end walls of the structure arid supports for the floor joists. The middle wall was the central support for the floor joists. The construction allowed air to circulate beneath the structure; these colcas must have been designed to provide a low-humidity environment for storing such materials as seed crops, textiles, and leather. All four of the excavated examples on Cerro Santa Barbara were of this type.

2. Nonelevated colcas. The other class of colcas was constructed on bedrock, with channels cut into the bedrock 40 centimeters deep and 45 centimeters wide, running downslope. A flooring of wood and cane topped with packed dirt probably overlay the canals, allowing, for drainage of water out of the structures as well as the introduction of water into the subfloor layer. We suspect that these structures were designed to provide a controlled higher-humidity environment for tuber storage. Both of the excavated examples on Cerro Cacañan and two of the three examples from Cerro Mamorco were of this type; the third example from Cerro Mamorco was similar in most respects, but lacked the subfloor canals.

Analysis of macro- and microbotanical remains seems to confirm this functional typology (Chiswell 1984). Carbonized maize kernels were found in the Cerro Santa Barbara colcas and in the one colca on Cerro Mamorco that lacked drains. Since sherds of large storage jars were not found in these colcas, we can conclude that the maize was probably stored in bags. All the excavated colcas on Cerro Mamorco also had higher than normal quantities of ichu (a high-altitude bunch grass) phytoliths, suggesting that tubers, packed in the ichu, might have been stored there. Botanical remains from the Cerro Cacañan colcas were not sufficient to allow determination of the crops stored there.

Larger administrative structures were also found in association with the colcas on Cerro Cacañan. Here six to eight larger structures (18 by 6 meters) were grouped together but 250 meters distant from the colcas themselves. These pirca structures are arranged in linear fashion along the hill. Some have two doorways, while others have one, always in the long wall facing downslope. The structures lack the subfloor features that characterize colcas. Only one example was excavated. There were low benches along the interior of the wall and a small room set on a low platform in one corner. Two circular pits filled with small river-rolled stones served as the bases for internal posts to help support the roof. The structures produced almost no artifacts and lacked domestic debris. They probably served an administrative function relating to control of stored goods.

We estimate that there were once about 215 colcas on these hillsides. The total storage capacity of the colcas was relatively low in comparison to that of larger centers like Huánuco Pampa and Jauja, which may indicate that these colcas were used for imperial services performed primarily on a local scale.

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