Ancient temple, roadway, irrigation found near Cuzco

BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhuanet) -- The ruins of an ancient temple, roadway and irrigation systems have been discovered by archaeologists at a famed fortress overlooking the Inca capital of Cuzco, officials involved with the dig said.

The temple on the periphery the Sacsayhuaman fortress includes 11 rooms thought to have held mummies and idols, lead archaeologist Oscar Rodriguez told The Associated Press.

The team of archaeologists that made the discoveries believe the structures predated the Inca empire but were then significantly developed and expanded.

"It's from both the Inca and pre-Inca cultures, it has a sequence," Washington Camacho, director of the Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Park, said on Thursday. "The Incas entered and changed the form of the temple, as it initially had a more rustic architecture."

Archaeologists are still waiting for carbon dating tests, but Camacho said their calculations about the facilities' age are supported by historical references such as ceramics and construction style.

The Inca empire, based in the ancient city of Cuzco, flourished along the western edge of South America during the 1400s, prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the next century.

The roadway, buried for hundreds of years under a yard of soil, is believed to have formed part of a network connecting Sacsayhuaman's buildings, according to Camacho.

Archaeologists are also busy unearthing an advanced hydraulic system, which may have been used to supply water to Cuzco during the Inca empire. The team believes the irrigation system was built by the Ayarmaca, who occupied the region from 900 to 1200. Remnants of Ayarmaca ceramics are scattered throughout the site.

(Agencies)