CAJAMARCA, THE THIN RIVER CITY AND THE HOUSE OF THE CONDOR.

Cajamarca is the capital and largest city of the Cajamarca Region as well as an important cultural center in the Northern Andes.
It is located in the Northern Highlands of Peru at approximately 2,750 m (8,900 ft) above sea level in the Valley of The Mashcon River.
Cajamarca has a mild highland climate, and the area has a very fertile soil. The city is well known for its dairy products and mining activity in the surroundings.
Cajamarca has numerous examples of Spanish colonial religious architecture, beautiful landscapes, pre-Hispanic archeological sites and Hot Springs at the nearby town of "Baths of the Inca"(Banos del Inca).
The history of the city is highlighted by the Battle of Cajamarca, which marked the ambush of the Inca by Spanish invader whom was captured and murdered there.
The name "Cajamarca" has a Quechua origin meaning "Town of Thorns" or "Cold Place" depending on the source. For more than 2000 years, the city and its surroundings, have been occupied by several cultures. Traces of pre-Chavin cultures can be seen in nearby archaelogical sites, such as Cumbe Mayo and Kuntur Wasi (Condor House).
The Archaeological Complex of Cumbe Mayo (THIN RIVER) is at an average altitude of 3,500 meters above sea level and 20 km SouthWest from Cajamarca. It is the place where the highest hydraulic technology were applied on the construction of the Canal's lines built by an advanced pre-Inca society around 1500 BCE. They are incredible perfect, turning at perfect right angles over smooth rock to slow down and regulate the movement of water.
The Aqueduct is a canal of approximately 9km in length, carefully carved in volcanic rock to divert the water from the hills to cultivation  fields an a large reservoir at the foot of the Apolonia Hill. Heading towards the Aqueduct there are some stairs sculpted in stone, and a carved stone used as a ceremonial altar. Also prominent is The Sanctuary, a huge cliff resembling a Man's Head, where interesting and undecipherable petroglyphs have been found.  They used Obsidian Hammers to create such perfect combination of Nature. The caves and shelters of the area evidence other stone engravings.
In an important section of the route there are also impressive and rare geological formations identify as the shapes of monks forming part of a procession. For this reason, this impressive area, that suddenly appear from the landscape, contrasting the flat, grass-covered Plains around Cajamarca,  located in CumbeMayo is known as "The Monks" (Los Frailones). It gives the area a beautiful and profound spiritual dimension.
The name "Cumbe Mayo" which translates to "Thin River," is thought to be one of the oldest Man-made structures in South America.
The House of the Condor (Kuntur Wasi) is the name given to the ruins of a religious center where people congregated, with complex architecture and stone sculptures. It is located at the HeadWaters of the Jequetepeque River, in the region of the city of Cajamarca near the small town of San Pablo. Lithosculptures have been found, similar to the Chavin style.
It is thought to have been constructed around 1200 BC, during the initial period. The architecture consists of a hill-top Temple, quadrangular platforms, a sunken courtyard, and series of rooms. In the floor of one room there is an anthropomorphic figure made of clay, about 75 cm (30 in) in height. It is painted with cinnabar red, malachite green, and black, tellow, and pink. Its face has big square eyes and a wide mouth with prominent canine teeth. There are also stepped platforms and funeral structures.
In 1989, scientist from the University of Tokyo excavated 4 tombs at Kuntur Wasi. Valuable items, such as pectorals necklaces (breastplates), gold crowns (the famous 'crown of the 14 faces), ornamental stone beads, earrings, sets of dishes, and iconography of peoples were discovered in the Burial Site. Since the beginning of the excavations of the University of Tokyo's archaeological mission, 8 Tombs have been found.
The Jequetepeque Valley provided a transportation corridor between the Coastal Region and the HighLands.