The Chinkana Tunnels have been discovered beneath Cusco (Image: Association of Archaeologists of Peru)
An incredible 5,750-foot tunnel system has been found beneath an ancient capital city.
Chinkana, meaning labyrinth, is an archaeological site , which was the administrative, political, and military capital of the Incan empire.
The kingdom was founded in the 13th century and spread steadily to become vast across South America. It lasted until the 16th century when Spain invaded and colonised Peru.
Archaeologists have revealed that they discovered a system of tunnels beneath the capital, spanning over 1,750 metres from the Temple of the Sun, the most important temple in the empire, to Sacsahuaman, a citadel north of the city.
The team consulted documents from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries to locate the tunnels and then used ground-penetrating radar and acoustic prospecting studies.
Chinkana spreads for 5,750 feet across the city (Image: Association of Archaeologists of Peru)
They found the entrance to the tunnels in the Cusco’s Rodadero sector, where it descends towards the Choquechaca River. They then continue beneath the Incan Colcampata Palace.
The ‘labyrinth’ has three branches: one leading to Callispuquio, another to the Muyucmarca sector in Sacsahuaman, and a third running behind the Church of San Cristóbal.
Researchers believe these branches suggest the underground network was built to link ceremonial and administrative sites within the Incan capital.
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When the Temple of the Society of Jesus was built in the late 1500s, the tunnels remained untouched, passing beneath the bishop’s houses behind Cusco Cathedral.
The tunnels also emphasise the cultural significance of Cusco, leading archaeologists to a variety of other targeted excavations in the city that will be undertaken this year.
The team from the Association of Archaeologists of Peru announced their findings at a press conference titled “Chinkana: Unveiling of a Mystery” at the Provincial Municipality of Cusco.