Archaeologists Discovered an Underground Inca Labyrinth, Confirming a Centuries-Old Rumor

Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:

The existence of a tunnel network under the ancient Peruvian city of Cusco had been rumored for centuries.
At times stretching more than a mile, the labyrinth connected the Temple of the Sun to key points, such as a fortress.
Incan builders made use of what’s known as the cut-and-cover method of crafting tunnels.

The Incan Temple of the Sun in Cusco has long been a visual and cultural jewel of the ancient empire. But there’s even more to admire below ground. Recently, archaeologists confirmed a long-held rumor: the existence of a labyrinth of underground tunnels extending out from the temple, sometimes over a mile in length.

First hinted at in historical texts that date as far back as the 16^th century, researchers have wondered if this labyrinth—known as a chincana—was real. Turns out, it is.

Archaeologist Jorge Calero Flores announced the findings at a press conference, and said the research team found a main branch connecting the temple to the fortress of Sacsahuaman, just over one mile away. The system is made up of 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.

The Peru Archaeologists Association said that the tunnels were created by the Inca people. They first dug trenches, and then supported them with stone walls and carved-beam ceilings. Calero Flores said 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 said, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The path to finding the ancient labyrinth started with Jesuit texts from the 16^th century. An anonymous Spanish Jesuit individual wrote about a tunnel in 1594 that connected the bishop’s housing to the Cusco Cathedral, alluding to the fact the tunnel originated at the Temple of the Sun. A later document from chronicler Anello de Oliva also discussed multiple underground passages in the city. The texts noted that, during construction in the area, workers ensured they did not disturb the tunnel network—one that started at a cave in the fortress. That was enough, Flores said, to give archaeologists “an idea” of where to look.

Before probing the ground, the team used acoustic prospecting to find hollow areas. That data gave them a better understanding of where to use ground-penetrating radar to create a more specific map of the chincana.

Archaeologist Mildred Fernandez Palomino said that the next step in learning more about the tunnels is getting inside them. “Now we have to excavate at key points to be able to enter the chincana,” she said, according to IFL Science.

Researchers believe that the tunnel system was an underground representation of the above-ground street network of the ancient Incan city of Cusco. Located about 130 miles from Machu Picchu, Cusco was once a thriving hub for the Inca Empire. Now, it’s a popular tourist spot and an archaeological marvel.