500-year-old rumoured labyrinth under Peru temple proves to be real: 'We suspect that...'

Archaeologists have discovered a labyrinth of tunnels under the Incan Temple of the Sun in Cusco, Peruvian Andes. Some of them stretch for 1.6 kilometres, and confirm what has been suspected for several years. This labyrinth is known as a chincana and does not find a direct reference in any texts, except vague hints. One of the historical texts dates as far back as the 16th century. Now, we finally have confirmation that this labyrinth of tunnels was real. A main branch connects the temple to the fortress of Sacsahuaman, around two kilometres away, archaeologist Jorge Calero Flores said at a news conference. His team found three smaller branches—one near the Church of San Cristóbal, another to an area near the fortress, and a third to an area known as Callispuquio.

Flores added that the tunnel system is roughly 8.5 feet wide and 5.2 feet high. "We suspect that the Inca could have been carried in litters through there," he was quoted as saying by The Jerusalem Post, adding that the Inca people built these tunnels. Construction included digging up the trenches and then adding stone walls and carved-beam ceilings for support. According to the Flores team, the tunnels mirrored the above-ground street network of the ancient Incan city of Cusco.

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Ancient texts carried accounts of tunnels in Inca

The team found clues about the tunnels in the 16th-century Jesuit texts and another document by a chronicler named Anello de Oliva. The first one carried an account by an anonymous Spanish Jesuit who wrote about a tunnel in 1594 connecting the bishop’s housing to the Cusco Cathedral. This was a hint that this tunnel originated at the Temple of the Sun. The second one by de Oliva discussed multiple underground passages in the city. There were accounts of how construction workers made sure not to disturb the tunnel network that started at a cave in the fortress.

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To create a specific map of Chincana, the researchers first checked for hollow areas using acoustic prospecting. Then they proceeded to deploy ground-penetrating radar on these areas, leading to the detection of the tunnel labyrinth. The researchers are now planning to enter these tunnels to learn more about them.