Zone X (Cheqtaqaqa)
Rock-CutSouth AmericaPeruc. 1450 CEInca (pre-Inca use claimed)
Cluster of large carved limestone outcrops northeast of Sacsayhuamán — mapped as Zona X / Lanlakuyoc and including the Cheqtaqaqa ceremonial sector — cut with steps, seats and niches and honeycombed with roughly 15 caves and tunnels (chincanas), several showing clear tool enhancement. Conventional archaeology reads an Inca quarry-and-shrine area with likely earlier Killke ritual use; the unusually smooth, near-polished cut surfaces — popularized as 'Zone X' by researcher Jesus Gamarra — remain the open question. The Cheqtaqaqa sector was damaged by graffiti vandalism in March 2026.
Look Closer — this site carries open questions: stones fitted without mortar, almost no gap; tool marks suggesting advanced machining.
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Walkthrough videos (2)
Cusco's Chincanas, a Not-So-Hidden Secret, Chetaqaqa: Part 1Sorcerers of Stone
Cusco's Chincanas, Part 2: Zone XSorcerers of Stone
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