Levanto archaeological site is located 2080 meters above sea level, south of Chachapoyas city. Levanto is a historic location close to Chachapoyas, home to a wide range of scenic and archaeological features. The pre-Hispanic Aishpachaca canal, the circular building of Colla-Cruz, a reconstruction of the Chacha Military Tambo accessible by paved road, the geometric friezes of the archaeological site of Yálape, and the colonial-era hydraulic construction of Molino-Huayco, which is located one hour and thirty minutes from the town, are among them.
Inca Garcilaso de la Vega was a renowned "Mestizo" (Half Inca, half Spanish). He mentions the Indians of the "Llauanto Tribe" in his texts. He describes them as having white skin, the men were the bravest and most valiant, while their women were the most beautiful in the Inca Empire. They were worthy of being wives to the highest nobles of the empire and even the Sapa Inca himself.
Later, The Inca monarchs conquered the Chachapoyas. Peruvian historians, such as Inca Garcilaso De la Vega, a famous "mestizo," said that the Chachapoya Kingdom fought hard against the Waris and Chimu. The Inca Tupac Yupanqui heard about this, so he recruited around 20,000 men.
After conquering the Chachapoya people, he taught this tribe about reading Quipus. He also taught them the Art of War, farming, and building. The area's ecosystem has a secondary mountain forest. It is full of bromeliads, orchids, moss, and lichens, it also has smaller plants that cover the site.
The pre-Hispanic settlement has circular structures on terraces and platforms of varying heights. You’ll find about 300 circular structures. In both sectors, the houses are 7 to 8 meters wide and 2 to 3 meters tall. Their exterior walls are cuneiform and up to 10 meters long. Some walls have friezes with zigzags and diamonds.
There are biconcentric and triconcentric diamonds. They also have diamonds in formation, along with cornices, eaves, and drainage systems. Inside, there are grinding stones, mortars, benches, guinea pig pens, and small rooms. The construction material was polished or carved limestone firmly joined with mud mortar.
The site is known for its distinctive architecture. The buildings are made of stone and mud mortar. They have rhomboid elements and zigzagging figures as decoration.
These elements are part of their beliefs, their thoughts, and even their way of life. The diamond shapes represent a Puma, specifically its eye. The zigzag figures represent snakes. Also, near this site, we can see a place called Novac. It has features like the complex, including underground buildings.
Getting to Levanto
The archaeological site of Levanto is located in the Amazonas region, in the province of Chachapoyas, in the Levanto District. This site is situated 20 kilometers from the city of Chachapoyas, approximately an hour's drive by car.
Weather
The climate in this area is temperate and humid, with rains typical of the region abundant for much of the year. The months from May to November are quite favorable for traveling to this site.
