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Peru

Wilamaya Patjxa

High-altitude mobile forager settlement site.

Time Periods

Paleolithic

Paleolithic

Mesolithic

Mesolithic

Neolithic

Neolithic

Chalcolithic

Chalcolithic

Bronze Age

Bronze Age

Iron Age

Iron Age

Classical Period

Classical Period

Post-Classical Period

Post-Classical Period

Early Modern Period

Early Modern Period

Industrial Period

Industrial Period

Contemporary Period

Contemporary Period

Location

About

Wilamaya Patjxa is a significant archaeological site located in the Andean Altiplano within the Lake Titicaca Basin in Puno, Peru. Occupied approximately 9,000 years ago by mobile forager populations, it stands as the earliest directly dated evidence of human habitation in the region. The site, situated on a small hill spanning 1.6 hectares, lacks ceramics and permanent architecture, indicating a residentially mobile lifestyle. Key discoveries include burials of both a young-adult female and an adult male, interred with large-mammal hunting tools, challenging traditional views on gender roles in prehistoric societies. The site's faunal assemblage and stable isotope analysis reveal a predominantly plant-based diet. Wilamaya Patjxa provides critical insights into early human adaptation to high-altitude environments.

Gallery

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Archaeological Features

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Miscellaneous Features

Caches

Burial and Funerary Structures

Graves

Historical Timeline

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Plan Your Visit

Details

Country
Peru
Source
Wikipedia