Pañamarca

Pañamarca (possibly from Quechua paña, "right hand, on the right", marka "village") is an archaeological site in the Ancash Region in Peru. It is situated in the Santa Province, Nepeña District, on the right bank of the Nepeña River. An aspect of this archaeological site that is not well known is that this site is home to many artifacts that link back to the Incan Empire. This site is also linked with the Moche culture and together, this site was occupied by two civilizations, the Inca and the Moche, which is significant because the archaeology that is present at the site shows that the site was important in the eyes of multiple cultures. While Pañamarka may at one time have once been quite aesthetically pleasing and grand, it is but a small collection of ruined walls, rock, and sand today. However, excavations by the Peruvian and American researchers in 2024 uncovered spectacular mural paintings including a lavishly decorated Throne Room (dedicated to a female figure, possibly a queen or a political leader) and a so-called Hall of the Braided Serpents.