It’s about a fascinating, lightly-visited Inca site called Sayhuite (Sigh-WEE-tay), about three hours drive from Cusco. This third episode of our Vlogcast, created by Inca scholar Peter Frost, and Visual Anthropologist Maren Elwood, covers a lot of ground at Sayhuite’s extensive and enigmatic ceremonial complex.
There are two ushnus (ceremonial platforms), along with the massive but very ruined remains of a third; many large carved boulders; a superbly carved rock outcrop called the Intihuatana (place-of-tying-the-sun). All this and, of course, the lone, intricately carved stone that the place is renowned for. In fact, there’s so much going on here that we needed to post the story in two parts. This is Episode One. Episode Two coming soon! We hope you enjoy it. Please send us your thoughts, reactions, feedback – and think about subscribing to our site if you would like to join us regularly! Best wishes to you all. Hope to see you in Peru again sometime.
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 This drawing, done by Waman Poma*, is an illustration of Manco Inca sitting on an Ushnu.
Manco Inca was the leader of the Inca resistance from 1536 to 1544. Here he is surrounded by his generals and seated on an Ushnu that may have been very similar to the one at Tarawasi that we highlight in this second episode of IncaTalk. *Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala (ca. 1535 – 1616), also known as Huamán Poma or Wamán Poma, was a Quechua nobleman known for chronicling and denouncing the ill treatment of the natives of the Andes by the Spanish after their conquest. Today, Guamán Poma is noted for his illustrated chronicle. The Stones of Saraguro: How an Unlikely 16th-Century Tale Led to an Astonishing 21st Century Discovery.
 This epic story, calling for a superhuman feat of transportation over some of the world’s most challenging mountain terrain, was chronicled one hundred years later by a Spanish priest. Not surprisingly, few people believed him.
This first IncaTalk discussion is with Dr. Dennis Ogburn In the early two thousands, U.S. archaeologist Dennis Ogburn began to notice fine cut Inca stones inexplicably scattered around the countryside near Saraguro, some 50 miles south of modern Cuenca in Equador. Modern technology settled the matter. Dr. Ogburn demonstrated that the priest’s story was true; the stones were from an Inca quarry 20 miles south of Cusco, in Peru. Donate HERE to help us continue our adventures and bring you more episodes of IncaTalk. Thanks for your support! Peter & Maren |
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HostsPeter Frost is a writer, independent scholar, lecturer and photographer who lives in Cusco, Peru. Archives
August 2021
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