Lauca NP: History and Culture

Cultural Heritage

Parinacota Church
The park is part of a long standing cultural tradition that began with hunter-gatherers travelling across the area for thousands of years. A proof of this comes from the fossils found in Las Cuevas zone, 9,000 year old remains of bonfires left by the aborigins.

Later, the Inca domain exerted a notorious influence on the local communities by imposing their social and political organization. These communities were based on Ayllus, or family societies, with a common geographical center. This kind of organization outlived the Spanish Conquest and still remains today.

Currently, these villages serve as ceremonial centers for local people as well as administrative headquarters which offer more and better services. Nevertheless, this rural development withered with Arica’s industrial progress, which, in turn, resulted in the depopulation of the zone. The same situation occured in many high-Andean villages.

The most relevant archaeological spots are: Tambo Quemado, a rocky shelter located in Las Cuevas and the Las Cuevas Inca Chacus.

The population living in the park originated from the Aymara people. They continue to maintain their cultural patterns and traditions, such as extensive shepherding of llamas and alpacas, Andean music, and pagan-religious festivities (cross of May, carnival, Christmas).

The town of Parinacota is located inside the park and it is formed by 50 houses, which are closed most of the time while their owners live in shepherding areas. They only return to the town for the religious festivities or carnivals. The church is distinctive because of its indigenous-colonial design, built with volcanic material and dating back to the 17th century.