Catamarca celebrated 10 years of the registration of Qhapaq Ñan as World Heritage

In a meeting that took place in Jujuy from June 27 to 29 and in which technical representatives and cultural authorities from the provinces crossed by the “Inca Trail” participated, the 10 years of the inscription of the Qhapaq Ñan in the List of UNESCO World Heritage of Humanity.

With a formal ceremony, work meetings and a visit to Santa Ana, one of the towns in Jujuy crossed by this ancient road network that brought together, during the times of the Inca Empire, six South American countries and seven Argentine provinces, this meeting was held, with Jujuy as the host province, as it had the pro tempore secretary of the federal committee of Qhapaq Ñan.

Representing Catamarca were the Provincial Director of Anthropology, Cristian Melián, and the Director of Heritage and Museums, Edith Cardoso.

“Today, Qhapaq Ñan is the most complex site on the World Heritage list, which is why its registration ten years ago was not easy and there were still issues to be resolved until the last minute,” said Victoria Sosa, technical secretary of QÑ Argentina, after reviewing all the coordinated work that has been carried out since 2002 with the participation of many people, institutions and wills to achieve the declaration. “It is a site that has many material and archaeological components, and many immaterial components that we can perhaps capture in the concept of the Andean worldview, in addition to more than 300 associated Andean communities,” she highlighted.

“We are standing solidly for 10 years and we have to celebrate this because we have managed to build a management structure that allows us to work together between the State and the communities with participatory but also federal planning processes. Qhapaq Ñan is a permanent exercise in federalism,” Sosa added.

On the second day, the meeting moved to Santa Ana and from there they headed to the Quebrada Honda area, where the Jujuy section of the Inca Trail protected by UNESCO passes, where the authorities and communities honored and thanked Mother Earth.

Back in the village, the official ceremony took place, where bibliography on the Qhapaq Ñan was distributed to the primary schools in the region.

After all the activities, commented the director of Heritage of Catamarca, it was agreed to continue working federally on the visibility of the Andean Road Network in each of the provinces that make up this cultural itinerary.

Catamarca and the Qhapaq Ñan

The Qhapaq Ñan is a complex road system made up of pre-Incan and Incan roads that the Incas unified and built during the 15th century as part of the great political, military, ideological and administrative project known as Tawantinsusy.

This road system linked Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, and within the country, the provinces of Catamarca, La Rioja, Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán, San Juan and Mendoza.

In Catamarca, the Pucará de Aconquija and a section of associated road were officially integrated into the Qhapaq Ñan, which obtained UNESCO recognition as a world heritage site. This site, with defensive and monumental characteristics, was chosen for its level of preservation and authenticity.