In 2011, O’Higgins Tours Ltd. was awarded funding from Chilean government agency SERCOTEC to commission a 3D animation of local Inca archaeological sites. The 3D reconstruction we made iis based on available information from extensive archaeological research and various field trips. Samples of the reconstructions, by local graphic designer Eduardo Galdames, can be viewed below. Further information and digital presentations of the sites are available our tours.
According to the Central Quechua Language Academy, ‘Pukara’ is a Quechua word that translates into English as both ‘fortress’ and ‘viewpoint’. They were typically hillside fortified defensive complexes where the Incas stored food arms, food and reserve soldiers and controlled the main communication routes.
In the Libertador O’Higgins Region, the Incas settled, farmed and even built a wicker bridge in Rancagua which crossed the Cachapoal River. In addition to this, they built a religious site on the outskirts of Santiago which doubled as an astronomical observatory and burial ground, and established a fortified frontier, marking the southern boundaries of the Inca Empire with the very Pukara you will see. It is located along the local branch of the Kapak Ñan (the Royal Inca Highway) and is of particular historical significance for its part in the founding of modern Chile as we know it.
