C
CAJAMARCA
In 1532, Cajamarca, a major ceremonial center in the northern Andes, was
chosen by Atahualpa and his advisors as the site to meet the invading band of
Christians led by Francisco Pizarro. Here, the drama of the initial encounter
between Pizarro, the representative of the Spanish crown, and Atahualpa, the de
facto leader of the Andean peoples, unfolded (see Invasion, Spanish).
The ceremonial complex centered on a large quadrilateral plaza that measured
approximately 400 by 200 meters. Stone buildings surrounded the plaza on three
sides. One of these contained an image of a snake (kassa), known to have been a
god to the pre-Inca people of the area. On the fourth side of the plaza was a wall.
On one side of the plaza was a square, stepped, and truncated pyramid, variously
described in the primary sources as a castle (castillo), fortress (fortaleza, fuerte,
usno [ushnu]), or temple with a staircase up to the top. This was the authority’s
stage from which the Inca officiated, addressed his followers, and sacrificed to
his gods. Spanish chroniclers recount how the Inca ruler prohibited the Spanish
leader from using this mount lest he be ascribed the spiritual and administrative
authority and role that the native populace would attribute to a person who
ascended to its summit.
The Temple of the Sun, dedicated to the paramount god of the Incas, and a
large structure (the acllahuasi) that housed the “chosen women” devoted to
weaving fine textiles and brewing abundant quantities of maize beer (chicha)
were nearby (see Acllacuna). Chroniclers also describe collcas or storehouses
filled with clothing, arms, and foodstuffs. A short distance away were the hot
springs or baths of Cónoj, where Pizarro’s emissaries first located Atahualpa and
his attendants.
Further Reading
Polo, José Toribio. “Un convento franciscano.” Revista histórica (Lima) 1:466–85, 1906.
Silva Santisteban, Fernando, et al. Historia de Cajamarca. Cajamarca: Instituto Nacional de Cultura, 1985.
Urteaga, Horacio. Cajamarca: Apuntes para su historia. Cuzco: Edit. Garcilaso, 1975.
Urteaga, Horacio. El fin de un imperio. Lima: Librería e Imprenta Gil, S. A., 1933.
■SUSAN ELIZABETH RAMÍREZ