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Qhapaq Ñan (Main Andean Road) in Colombia

Property names are listed in the language in which they have been submitted by the State Party.

Colombia (Latin America and the Caribbean)

Date of Submission: 18/05/2005
Criteria: (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)
Category: Cultural
Submission prepared by:
Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia, Ministerio de Cultura
Coordinates:
N 0º 49' 24.5'' W 77º 40' 01.7'' N 0° 49' 49 W 77° 38' 40 N 0° 52' 21 W 77° 38' 34 N0° 55' 9 W77° 33' 58 N0° 54' 36 W77° 33' 2 N0° 53' 32W 77° 32' 48 N1° 0' 0W 77° 27' 0 N1° 5' 50W 77° 23' 53 N1° 7' 7W 77° 24' 18 N1° 10
Ref.: 2043

Description

The Qhapaq Ñan in Colombia is the northern tip of the 6000 km-long Inka road system consolidated during the 15th century and consists of a path of between 2 to 5 m wide, delimited by water channels or by retaining walls, and constructed or carved in the natural volcanic soils. The road is pre-Hispanic and pre-Inca in origin and it was incorporated by the Inka to the Qhapaq Ñan, as part of a process of imperial expansion. It has been continually used for centuries and its’ present state includes added constructions and repairs of several different periods, including the Inka period (1438-1532 AD), the Spanish Colonial period (1532-1810 AD) --when it was part of the Camino Real or Royal Road-- and also modern times. The Carretera Panamericana or Panamerican Road was constructed during the early 20th century following a route that in some tracts also covers the archaeological road. Information regarding the route of the Main Andean Road during the Inka period comes from 16th and 17th century’s descriptions, as well as recent field observations.

Associated to the path there are various types of archaeological sites, including rock art sites, cemeteries, agricultural terraces, and residential sites. Closely associated to the Inka expansion and to the use of the Qhapaq Ñan are archaeological artifact assemblages reported in archaeological excavations dating to the last centuries before the Spanish Conquest and often referred to as the “Andean complex,” reflecting influence from the Central Andes, which includes llama and cui bones, llama and vicuña wool textiles, a diagonal textile technique, pan gold flutes, pear shaped gold rattles, evidence of use of high elevation cultivars (such as quinua, oca, ullucos and mashua), burial offerings of marine shells such as Spondylus, and stone walled constructions (including walled agricultural terraces or andenes), all off which are unusual in the rest of the Colombian Southwest region.

Geographically, the Qhapaq Ñan in Colombia connects four distinct geographical units: The relative cold highland of the Altiplano de Ipiales (continuation of the Carchi volcanic highland of Ecuador), the relatively warmer canyon of the Cuenca Alta del río Guaítara, the relatively humid Cuenca baja del río Bobo, the cloudy southern slopes of the active Galeras Volcano (currently a natural reserve) and the productive Valle de Atríz region near Pasto. The elevation range is between 1980m and 3059m with a mean elevation for the path of 2570m, which means relatively low temperatures for all four sectors. However, those areas have diverse ecological, topographical and economical characteristics, making it a varied landscape.

Ethnographically, the Qhapaq Ñan is directly associated basically to two kinds of modern populations, the indigenous ones (belonging to the Pasto ethnic group), organized in Resguardos with defined territories and communal property over their land (Ipiales, Mueces, Pupiales, Aldea de María, San Juan and Males) and the Mestizo communities belonging to the municipalities of Ipiales, Potosí, Pupiales, Gualmatán, Contadero, Córdoba, Funes, Tangua, Yacuanquer, Iles and Pasto.

Indigenous and mestizo communities of today share cultural expressions, rituals, crafts and oral tradition that have kept alive the Andean and prehispanic heritage.