| Site Description | Pumapungo is a living testament to the presence of the many different historical groups, such as the Cañaris, the Incas, the Spaniards, and the mestizos who all left their mark in this place. Likewise, it is a strategic point found along the Qhapaq Ñan (Royal Inca Road) through what used to be the territory of Ecuador. Pumapungo has a series of characteristics that make it a unique place. It is located within the Historic Center of Cuenca, which in 1999 was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Likewise, it is a crossroads connecting the North and the South of the ancient Inca empire, the "Tahuantinsuyo". These connections were made through the Qhapaq Ñan, which was also recently designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pumapungo is a site museum with archaeological remains and an ethnobotanical park. It is for these reasons that the city of Cuenca and the Ecuadorian Government protect Pumapungo, for within its walls is sheltered a great wealth of artistic, archaeological, ethnographic, documentary and natural heritage. |