Sillustani

Sillustani is an archaeological site and pre-Hispanic funerary complex located on the Umayo peninsula, in Atuncolla District, Puno Province, southern Peru. It is known mainly for its chullpas, funerary towers built by highland societies before and during the Inca period. The complex stands on the eastern shore of Lake Umayo, about 31 km from the city of Puno, and occupies the esplanade and slopes of a peninsula from which the surrounding landscape can be widely seen. The official record of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism lists an approximate area of 60 hectares and 91 funerary towers, as well as terraces, corrals, stairways, monoliths, intiwatanas, quilcas and other archaeological remains distributed across the peninsula. Sillustani formed part of the cultural sphere of the highland lordships and became especially important during the development of Colla society. The site was later incorporated into Inca rule, a process reflected in funerary buildings that differ in technique, scale and finish. The site is also relevant for the history of its research and conservation. In 1971, during cleaning and restoration work, the find known as the Treasure of Sillustani was recorded. This group of archaeological objects was associated with the Lizard chullpa and was later studied as part of the funerary assemblage of a high-ranking Qolla person. Because of its monumentality, the concentration of funerary towers and its relationship with Hatuncolla and Lake Umayo, Sillustani is considered one of the most representative examples of the chullpa phenomenon in the Lake Titicaca highlands.