Naupa Iglesia (Ñaupa Huaca)

Inca attribution documented by ceramics: sherds of Imperial Inca and Killke style (the period preceding the Late Horizon, ~1000–1400) were identified during the archaeological intervention of Arredondo Dueñas (2019, official chapter, Ministerio de Cultura del Perú). The trapezoidal niche, the double-jamb window and the repeated niches are canonically Inca architectural forms, systematically documented at dozens of sites — including Ollantaytambo, ~10 km away.

Andesite carving by percussion and abrasion with quartzite and bronze tools is academically documented for neighboring sites in the Sacred Valley (Protzen, Inca Architecture and Construction at Ollantaytambo, Oxford University Press, 1993; Protzen & Nair, JSAH 56/2, 1997). The site's black andesite rock is consistent with the sources used by Inca builders in the region. No petrographic or use-wear study has been published for Naupa Iglesia specifically.

Solar alignment at the December solstice: the rising sun illuminates the interior of the cave. Such an alignment is consistent with documented Inca ritual practices at many sites (Inti Raymi, mountain sanctuaries). This point is noted by visitors and tour guides — no formal astronomical measurement has been found published for this site.

Probable function: huaca and adoratorio — a place of worship for the mallquis (ancestral mummies), possibly a node in the ceque network radiating from Cuzco. The alternative name "Choquequilla" (from Quechua chuqui killa, "golden moon") suggests a lunar association. These functions are consistent with the architectural type but have not been confirmed by published stratigraphic excavation.