Two of Peru's Lesser-Known Archaeological Sites

Peru is full of some really amazing archeological sites of which Machu Picchu is only one. There are also many other civilizations represented other than the Incas. If touring the remains of ancient people is your idea fun, this is a great country to visit. Many of the sites include opportunities for hiking as well.

Choquequirao
Choquequirao, while having similarities in design to Machu Picchu, has yet to become as well known or traveled. The advantage of this is that you can tour the place in far greater privacy, sometimes being the only group at the site.

Like Machu Picchu, it is unknown exactly what it was used for or who created it. One theory is that the son of the Inca Pachacutec, who is believed to have been responsible for the construction of Machu Picchu, wanted an estate to rival that of his father's. In any case, it seems likely that it was used for ceremonial purposes, to pay homage to the Incan gods.

The difficulty of reaching the place is a reason that the Spanish never tried to conquer it, although it was known to them, at least by 1710. It is also a reason that it is not as greatly visited. Although a variety of explorers made it there, it was Hiram Bingham that really mapped the site out in 1909.

It sits at an altitude of 3000 m and is generally reached by a challenging 4-day trek which includes ample time for wandering about the site. The trek takes you through a variety of stunning geography including valleys, canyons and cloud forest and surrounded by mountains capped by snow.

Huaca de la Luna
Huaca de la Luna or the Temple of the Moon was built by the Moche people, a civilization that existed in Northern Peru from between 1 and 700 AD. It is part of one of the Mochican capital cities, now called Cerro Blanco, along with the Temple of the Sun.

For some reason, the Huaca de la Luna was left mostly untouched by the Spanish, while the Huaca del Sol was looted heavily. It's believed that the reason may have been that the Huaca de la Luna was more ceremonial while the Huaca del Sol was more important for administration and military purposes.

The Huaca is decorated with many colorful murals inside and out, although the ones on the outside have been faded. It is a large complex, containing three platforms which each serve different purposes. The central one contained many burials as well as high quality ceramics, leading researchers to believe that it was used primarily for burying high-ranking religious leaders.

Excavation work continues to be done here, yielding more information about the ancient people who lived in the Cerro Blanco. Relatively few unlooted sites of this civilization have been discovered, making this ancient city quite important. It is located close by the city of Trujillo which can be reached by car, bus or flight from Lima.

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