Vilcabamba — Espíritu Pampa Vitcos Valley Submerged Sector (Concepción)
Espíritu Pampa Vitcos valley · Vilcabamba submerged valley · Concepción Pampa sector
Late Horizon Neo-Inca (1539 – 1572 CE)·Neo-Inca State (Manco, Sayri, Titu Cusi, Tupac Amaru)·🇵🇪 Cusco, La Convención, Vilcabamba, Espiritu Pampa valley floor, Concepción creek, Peru
About
About Vilcabamba — Espíritu Pampa Vitcos Valley Submerged Sector (Concepción)
Valley-floor sector of Vilcabamba (Espíritu Pampa — 'Pampa of the Spirits') where last Inca capital Vilcabamba la Vieja (1539–1572) occupied palm-thatched jungle terraces along Concepción creek below Vitcos-Rosaspata fortress ridge. This valley submerged-cycle sector (annual Concepción floodplain) preserves waterlogged postholes, buried causeway 200 m and terrace footings 0.5–1 m under alluvium, distinct from ridge-top stone groups already in DB Vilcabamba entry. Rediscovered by Savoy 1964 and Fonseca 1976 INC: two-storey hall 17×7 m, 250 houses, Inca tiles. Floodplain now jungle regrowth but terrace undergrowth preserved.
Why it mattersFinal Inca city — valley floor preservation model shows Vilcabamba was lowland timber sprawl not just montane stone; floodplain causeway proves Concepción was navigable supply river for Huamangha.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether valley is separate Hatun Vilcabamba vs suburb
- 02Tile kiln location
Theories
- 01Valley causeway import slate matches Vitcos quarry
- 02Vilcabamba name may derive from Willka-pampa valley not hill
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- 1539 Manco Inca refounds Vilcabamba after Cuzco siege
- Period
- Late Horizon Neo-Inca (1539 – 1572 CE)
- Culture
- Neo-Inca State (Manco, Sayri, Titu Cusi, Tupac Amaru)
- Purpose
- Neo-Inca jungle capital resisting Spanish 33 years
- Abandoned
- 1572 Martín Hurtado de Arbieto sacks Vilcabamba and executes Tupac Amaru
- Rediscovered
- 1964 Savoy + 1976 Fonseca INC mapping
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
1539
Manco Inca establishes jungle capital at Espíritu Pampa
1550–1572
Neo-Inca peak — valley timber city with two-story hall
1964
Gene Savoy relocates Espíritu Pampa; valley terraces found buried
On the ground
Structures & features
12.9500° S · 73.2050° W · 1450 m · 3 mapped features
Valley Floodplain Causeway (buried 0.5 m)
causewayPosthole causeway 200 m bridging Concepción creek to Vitcos ridge
12.9510° S · 73.2060° WTwo-Story Hall (Kallanka) Foundations
hallLong hall 17×7 m with double storey postholes and Inca tile roof fall
12.9500° S · 73.2050° WTerrace Residential Zone (250 houses)
residential250 slate-footing house platforms 4×6 m along valley slope
12.9490° S · 73.2040° W