Huaca

A Quechua word meaning 'holiness', 'sacredness', or 'sanctity' and referring to ancient mounds, ruins, tombs, or their contents, in Latin America. Diverse in nature, they range from portable amulets to large natural phenomena such as caves or stones piled in a field (apachitas) to stepped pyramids and were thought by the Inca, Quechua, or Aymara to have magical or religious powers. Huaca means spirits that either inhabit or actually are physical phenomena such as waterfalls, mountains, or man-made shrines. The term is also used to refer to sacred ritual or the state of being after death.

A name derived from the Quechua word meaning shrine, huacas were revered or sacred objects. Diverse in nature, ranging from portable amulets to large natural phenomena such as caves and rocks, they were thought by the Inca to have magical or religious powers. For example the Kenko Stone or Huanacauri, a large rock located near Cuzco, was thought to be the petrified brother of the first emperor.