EARLY SITES IN THE PISCO VALLEY OF PERU: TAMBO COLORADO FREDERIC EnGEL
TAMBO Colorado is the name given to a group of buildings standing on the north bank of the
Pisco River in southern Peru, 45 km. east of the Panamerican Highway. These buildings are
definitely Incaic, but were built on an earlier site, and are no more than a very small portion of
a large occupied area extend- ing to the west, north, and east of the buildings. Both banks of
the Pisco River were densely populated during Precolumbian times, and es- tablishments
much larger than Tambo Colo- rado can be observed in the area. They should all be checked
for early settlements, and with additional information it would be possible to study contacts
between the Sierra cities - of which the best example is Huaitara, 40 km. inland from Tambo
Colorado - and the coastal sites, like Paracas, Jahuay, and Hacienda Alta de Luna, near
Pisco, where Paracas type pottery can also be found in quantity. Tambo Colorado has been
visited by various • archaeologists. * Bandelier photographed and mapped the site in 1893.
Uhle worked there for a month in 1901 and mentions various sites in his field notes. William
Curtis Farabee also visited the Pisco Valley in 1922 and worked in Paracas; Inez Haase, of
the University of California, took notes and photos of the Inca buildings a few years ago, and
Harth-Terre (Urteaga 1939) published a plan of them. Kroe- ber visited the site and published
photographs of it (1944: 41, Pls. 18-20). A detailed plan of the area has not been published.
We therefore consider it of interest to publish the sketch map which accompanies this paper
(Fig. 2), to give an idea of the im- portance of the area. Signs of occupation cover an area 2
km. from east to west and extending 1 km. inland toward the east-west arm of the Andes
which flanks the northern bank of the Pisco River. We have not yet been able to establish
more than 3 major periods of occupation for the area as a whole: Paracas Cavernas,
Monumental Naza, and late precolonial. We have failed to establish a notable late Naza
occupation or a Tiahuanacoid one. The area seems to have been densely occupied in early
and florescent times, abandoned, and intensely reoccupied in late precolonial times. Remains
of other periods may be present but unlocated. Possibly, also, plain ware of intermediate
periods has gone unidentifed. It should be noted that of some 3000 surface sherds collected,
less than a few dozen could be attributed to late Naza, and none to a Tiahuanacoid style.
Late architecture, graves, pottery, and imple- ments are mainly related to Late Ica, with local
traits and Inca influence. They will be de- scribed in another paper. The present paper will be
devoted to earlier sites and graves. Geographically, it is interesting to note that 2 belts of early
occupation (Paracas Cavernas and Monumental Nazca) can be observed. The first lies along
the steep slopes of Cerro Pan- taico and Cerro Tambo, between 20 and 80 m. above the river
(Fig. 2, Sites 3, 24, 25, 26, 91, 92). The second is much higher, along the slopes of the east-
west arm of the Andes and on the crests of Cerro Pantaico and Cerro Tambo, at an altitude
varying between 500 and 700 m. (Fig. 2, Sites 28, 32, 52, 55, 57). Late occupation is scattered
all over the area, on the intermediate ridges (Sites 8, 10, 21, 22, 41-43, 45, 48, 71, 81-83, 95,
96), and on Cerros Pan- taico and Tambo (Sites 21, 23, 91, 93, 94), and, of course, around
the Inca buildings along the Pisco River. Architectural remains are to be found all over the
area. A complete description of major types of buildings would require a much more extensive
field survey and the publication of a monograph. The association of sherds and other items
already permits the dating of many struc- tures, such as the buildings used as collective
graves, which are full of bodies buried with personal belongings, decorated in Inca style.
These buildings have mostly been looted by private collectors. Some Paracas Cavernas and
Monumental Naza sherds can also be found in these buildings, but it seems likely that these
fell in during the course of construction, or at the time the sites were looted. Terraces sur
rounding the still partly erect large house on Site 27 also can be dated by the Inca-decorated
sherds which we found in the fill. The large group of buildings established on 4 terraces in the
slope of Cerro Pantaico just behind Site 27 is protected by a long, thick wall. The archi- tecture
