Tarata Pre-Hispanic Era

Ancient Roots: Tarata, Cradle of Knowledge of the Andean World 

I. The Legacy of the Native Tarata

The history of Tarata dates back long before the Inca Empire. During pre-Hispanic times, Tarata was known as Incchenchura.

• The settlement was located in a strategic area, linking different ecological zones and cultures..

• The chiefdoms or kurakasgos They already had an origin in the area. pre-Hispanic, serving as intermediaries between the state and the community.

II. The Articulating Axis: The Qhapaq Ñan

Tarata's most monumental and living pre-Hispanic legacy is its participation in the Qhapaq Ñan (Main Road or Noble Road). This road network was the "backbone" of the Tahuantinsuyo, uniting territories from Colombia to Argentina.

• In Tarata, This section of the Inca Trail is a cobbled stone path that remains a symbol of the spiritual and territorial connection of the Andean people..

• The Road was used by messengers (messengers), armies, merchants and pilgrims.

• Along the route, there were pre-Hispanic drums (rest centers) like Ticaco, which were essential for the logistics of the empire.

III. Technology and Ancestral Daily Life

The passage of pre-Hispanic cultures left a deep mark on the daily practices of Tarata that persist to this day:

• Agriculture: The production was based on the use of platforms (cultivation terraces). The essential tool was the Inca plow chaquitaclla.

• Archeology: The presence of the Qala Qala Caves (pre-Hispanic burial caves) near the Inca Trail.

• Rock Art: The area houses Petroglyphs (like those of Estique), which are prehistoric rock engravings that reflect the worldview of ancient peoples.

• Medicine: The traditional sages They still use Andean medicinal plants , an ancestral knowledge that dates back to this time.