Cumbe Mayo

From Perupedia

Cumbe Mayo Kumpi Mayu Humpi Mayo
Coordinates:7°11′23″S 78°34′26″W / 7.18972°S 78.57389°W / -7.18972; -78.57389
Culture	Cajamarca
Period	1000 BC
Country Region	Peru Cajamarca
Area
Area Elevation	n/a 3300 meters
Official website
http://www.cajamarcaperu.com/turismo/lugares-turisticos/cumbe-mayo.htm

Cumbe Mayo is located about 20 km (12.4 miles) southwest of the Peruvian city of Cajamarca at an elevation of approximately 11,000 feet (3,300 meters).^[1] The name Cumbe Mayo may be derived from the Quechua phrase, kumpe mayo, meaning “well-made water channel”, or humpi mayo, meaning “thin river”. ^[2]

Dating from 1000 BC^[3], the site boasts three different areas of interest: and the aqueduct, the frailones forest, and the sanctuary. ^[4]

Contents 1 Aqueduct 2 Frailones Forest 3 Sanctuary 4 References

Aqueduct

The Cumbe Mayo aqueduct was built to collect water from the streams that descend from the Majoma, Yanacaga, Council, Friars, and Cumbe hills - located on the continental divide - and then lead them to the town of Cajamarca, where they were stored in a large reservoir before spreading to various fields of high-altitude cultivation. It has the capacity to manage water for the fertile land that has been the main foundation of ancient Peruvian civilization, and without which Peru would be a both a barren wasteland and uninhabitable.^[5]

The sophistication and precision of the ditch’s angles – created with stone tools – leave modern-day hydraulic engineers marveling. Sharp turns in the ditch prevent the water from rushing too fast, as do impressive inclines. The dimensions of the sections of the aqueducts in the rock vary between 35 and 50 cm wide and 30 to 65 cm deep. Almost every piece of the aqueduct has a perfect finish and the most amazing practice angles, frets, and facts in order to slow the water while preventing soil erosion. In addition, its walls display numerous petroglyphs of of unknown function and meaning.^[6]

• The first portion of the aqueduct is covered in petroglyphs, and well designed, but lacking the characteristics of Chavín construction.
• The second portion of the aqueduct is 2,600 meters (7,200 feet) long and extends from the end of the channel and is cut into rock to reach the continental divide.
• The third section is about 5,660 meters in length and descends through the valley of San Vicente to reach a town called Agua Tapada, where it passes through a rock channel and reaches a reservoir.

Frailones Forest

Sanctuary

References

Coordinates: 7°11′23″S 78°34′26″W / 7.18972°S 78.57389°W / -7.18972; -78.57389