Yanaque - Quilcamarca

Yanaque-Quilcamarca is an archaeological complex of two adjacent hilltop settlements at 3,820 meters elevation in Ancash Region, Peru (Ocros Province, Acas District). Stone structures with clay mortar span from summit to slopes, featuring rectangular and semicircular forms reaching up to 2 meters in height. Excavations uncovered stone mortars, Inca-style ceramic fragments, grinding stones, and multiple burial sites containing human remains with evidence of cranial deformation and trepanation. According to local legend, a woman called Pichanamaria swept through the streets with a magical broom, causing an illness that killed the inhabitants of both villages, which had disputed a water source.