Pachacamac

Pachacamac is an archaeological site in the Valley of the Lurín River, 40 km (25 mi) southeast of Lima, Peru [1]. First settled around A.D. 200, it was named after Pacha Kamaq, the 'Earth Maker' creator god worshipped by pre-Inca cultures [2]. The site flourished for approximately 1,300 years as a major religious and administrative center before the Spanish conquest [3]. Covering about 600 hectares, it represents one of the largest and longest-lived pre-Columbian settlements in the Americas [4].