On the road between Chivay and Cabanaconde, the remains of tombs built by the Collaguas around 1200 A.D. can be seen at a viewpoint called Choquetico, meaning holes in the hill. Take some time to locate the structures in the second and third photos in the first.
Hillside tombs dating from 1200 A.D.
Don’t see them? Try these.
Rock tombs perched on the cliff face
Hint: Match up the red streaks
Okay. Now you are wondering, how did they do that? And, yes, the lower portion of the cliff face is as smooth and straight up as it looks in the first photo, and there is no evidence of hand- and toe-holds like those used by the Ancient Puebloans at Mesa Verde. According to our guide, the builders lowered themselves and their building supplies down from the top using ropes. Remember, these people did not have any iron tools or the wheel. That means, no pulleys. Scary! (I don’t like ladders or bridges, so the idea of dangling on the end of a very long rope being restrained by human hands is petrifying.)
Be sure to note the beehive-like shape of the free-standing tombs. It’s not unlike that of tombs found in the eastern Mediterranean, but the construction work is much cruder. Also, the openings we see today were caused by grave robbers. There were no stand-up doorways into these tombs, although there must have been some means of gaining entrance since my guide said the bodies of family members were often added later. The general form of these tombs will be seen at another burial site near Puno, also on the Altiplano.