Archaeology, Exploration, Travel/Tourism

Highway linking city of Huánuco and Kotosh ruins inaugurated

A three-kilometer highway from the north-central highland city of Huánuco to the Pre-Columbian site of Kotosh was inaugurated Wednesday at the hands of Huánuco Regional President Jorge Espinoza Egoavil, daily El Comercio reported.

“This highway opens the door to development, and is a tribute to the city of Huánuco,” said Espinoza.

Kotosh, a pre-Columbian site located near the modern city of Huánuco, is known for its early temple structures and interior wall niches and mud-relief decorative friezes that date back to the end of the Late Pre-ceramic period, or 2000-1800 B.C.

The site also contains remains of later cultures in the area and features a series of pyramid-shaped mounds, including a chamber decorated with a mud sculpture of two pairs of crossed arms, one of the oldest examples of sculptures in the Andes. Some believe the crossed arms inside the complex symbolize alleged sacrifices carried out by the high priests as offerings to their deities, while others believe the arms are a symbol of protection from enemies.

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