Complejo Arqueológico "Saywite"

Amazing little archeological site.

Sayhuite (Sigh-weetey) is an archaeological site 47 kilometres (29 mi) east of the city Abancay, about 3 hours away from the city of Cusco, in the province Abancay in the region Apurímac in Peru. The site is regarded as a center of religious worship for Inca people, focusing on water.In the Monuments of the Inca by John Hemming, Hemming points to a colonial narrative that describes the interior of the Sayhuite temple. The temple featured larger columns draped in fabrics with gold bands the "thickness of one's hand." The temple was also under the care of the priestess Asarpay, who jumped to her death in the nearby 400 meter gorge to avoid capture by Spanish forces.
An important feature on the site is the Sayhuite monolith, an enormous rock containing more than 200 geometric and zoomorphic figures, including reptiles, frogs, and felines. Found at the top of a hill named Concacha, the stone was sculpted as a topographical hydraulic model, complete with terraces, ponds, rivers, tunnels, and irrigation channels. The functions or purposes of the stone are not known, but researcher Dr. Arlan Andrews, Sr. believes the monolith was used as a scale model to design, develop, test, and document the water flow for public water projects, and to teach ancient engineers and technicians the concepts and practices required. The rock was "edited" several times, with new material, either altering the paths of the water or adding routes altogether. About two meters long, and four meters wide, the monolith is the most popular attraction on the archaeological site.

Significance of the Monolith

While the creators remain a mystery, the monolith provides archaeologists with insight into the culture of the pre-Columbian population. Archaeologists have determined that the site was an Incan religious center, where rituals and ceremonies for the worship of water was conducted. The monolith is an important clue to this, since it depicts a water-like flow between the carvings. Modern-day engineers also speculate that the monolith is a depiction of the irrigation systems present within the Incan culture.While the precise meaning of this stone remains unsolved, the monolith is part of the material culture of the Incan people, and as such helps archaeologists piece together how and why they lived this way. Understanding the Incan culture from an archaeological perspective helps archaeologists apply this knowledge to similar civilizations and find links between ancient cultures.

Tourism

Because of its size and intricate carvings, the monolith is a popular site for tourists. A possible explanation of the intricate carvings is that the stone depicts a religious ritual, possibly associated with water, that the ancient Incas performed. Encouraging tourists to examine this monolith is important, since it raises the awareness about the archaeological record and the importance preservating material culture.

Importance of Preservation

Preserving the site of Sayhuite and the monolith is crucial, because archaeology is a destructive process.In addition, looting is a common problem at archaeological sites and can hinder the analysis performed by archaeologists of past peoples and culture. Preserving the archaeological site of Sayhuite includes leaving parts of the site unexcavated and protecting the monolith from vandalism and erosion. To protect the archaeological site from vandalism and looting, education of the general public is crucial. This creates ways for the public to get involved in a significant part of history and raises awareness for the importance of preservation in the field of archaeology. Preserving the site allows for a chance for new technological advances, which would aid in archaeologists’ study of the site and could possibly help them understand the meaning of the monolith to a greater extent and with more accuracy.

Very interesting, there are actually 3 sites to visit: the intricately hewn rock, the water fall, and the broke altar.

Nice place to visit. Only takes You 10 min.

Awesome site, wonderful knowlegable guy working there named Josue.

I found what looks like a depiction of two people on
a nearby mountain

Beautiful place and good view

🎧😎CHOQUEQUIRAO 🧗‍♂

Es un parque arqueológico muy bonito, es bastante amplio, se ve que aquí tomaban como prioridad el culto al agua. En todas partes hay espacios para poder disfrutar del paisaje. El costo de entrada es muy cómodo además de existir diferencias entre adulto, adulto mayor y niños.

La laguna de Pacucha es muy hermosa, los paseos en botes es hasta las 5 p.m, hay restaurantes alrededor de la laguna, la mayoria sirven ceviche ee pejerrey

Lugar hermoso. Solo deberían sacar el techo que le han puesto a la piedra ya que no se aprecia como antes.

Muito show esse sítio arqueológico com a pedra maquete

Lo más hermoso que he visto en el Perú

Ver la piedra en persona es mucho más imponente que por fotos, da gusto ver una reja que separa la piedra de saywite de los visitantes para evitar daños, caminar por todos los sectores del complejo arqueológico es algo que todo visitante debe intentar hacer en su visita

Sencillamente extraordinario y fuera de éste mundo. Soy un convencido que todo el complejo ha significado mucho más de lo que se cree. Estoy casi seguro que para obtener ésos cortes tan precisos en las rocas inmensas que están en los alrededores, tiene que haber sido gracias a tecnologías de otros seres con conocimiento muy profundos de la materia y de la física. Porque de lo contrario, no es posible explicar tanta perfección en pleno siglo XV, ya que los muros en todo el complejo están asentados con los mismos conceptos del Saqsaywaman y pulidos de una manera que difícilmente se podría imitar en la actualidad sin la ayuda de compleja tecnología. Si van a Saywite visiten sus cuatro sectores y demoren lo que se tengan que demorar. Valdrá la pena.

Sorprendida con el Intihuatana !!!
Y la piedra maqueta !
Y los acueductos!
Precioso lugar.
Saywite o Sayhuite es una zona arqueológica que se encuentra ubicada en Perú, en la provincia de Abancay, distrito de Curahuasi, en el complejo arqueológico del mismo nombre, en la ex hacienda Saywite propiedad de la familia Valer a la altura del kilómetro 45 de la carretera que conduce de Abancay al Cusco y a 3500 metros sobre el nivel del mar.

Un lugar místico y de mucha intriga, el saber que es lo que hacían los incas en esa zona es todo un misterio, pero desde propias perspectivas creo yo era un lugar de pruebas hidricas para la construcción de machu picchu. Muy cerca de ahí ek cañón de apurimac y abancay, una ruta espléndida para pasear, eso sí, con mucho cuidado

Hermoso lugar, se siente una vibra muy bonita

Linda e interesante zona arqueológica, a pesar de no ser tan grande, el recorrido vale la pena.

Esa piedra es maravillosa, que grandes fueron nuestros antepasados