![](http://image.absoluteastronomy.com/images//topicimages/t/tc/tcume.gif)
Túcume
Encyclopedia
Purgatorio is the name by which local people refer to the dozens of pre-Hispanic pyramid
s, enclosures and mounds found on the plain around La Raya Mountain, south of the La Leche River. This is the site of Túcume, covering an area of over 540 acres (218.5 ha) and encompassing 26 major pyramids and mounds.
This site was a major regional center, maybe even the capital of the successive occupations of the area by the Lambayeque/Sican
(800-1350 AD), Chimú (1350–1450 AD) and Inca (1450–1532 AD). Local shaman healers (curandero
s) invoke power of Tucume and La Raya Mountain in their rituals, and local people fear these sites. Hardly anyone other than healers venture out in this site at night.
The plains of Túcume are part of the Lambayeque Valley, the largest valley of the North Coast of Peru. The Lambayeque Valley is the site of scores of natural and man-made waterways and is also a region of about 250 brick pyramids.
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
s, enclosures and mounds found on the plain around La Raya Mountain, south of the La Leche River. This is the site of Túcume, covering an area of over 540 acres (218.5 ha) and encompassing 26 major pyramids and mounds.
![](http://image.absoluteastronomy.com/images/encyclopediaimages/t/th/the_valleys_of_tcume_(peru).jpg)
Sican
Sican may refer to:*The Sican culture in what is now Peru*Sican language*The Sicani, a people of ancient Sicily...
(800-1350 AD), Chimú (1350–1450 AD) and Inca (1450–1532 AD). Local shaman healers (curandero
Curandero
A curandero or curandeiro is a traditional folk healer or shaman in Latin America, who is dedicated to curing physical or spiritual illnesses. The role of a curandero or curandera can also incorporate the roles of psychiatrist along with that of doctor and healer. Many curanderos use Catholic...
s) invoke power of Tucume and La Raya Mountain in their rituals, and local people fear these sites. Hardly anyone other than healers venture out in this site at night.
The plains of Túcume are part of the Lambayeque Valley, the largest valley of the North Coast of Peru. The Lambayeque Valley is the site of scores of natural and man-made waterways and is also a region of about 250 brick pyramids.