El Cerro de Potosí y el Dios Pachacámac

The Cerro de Potosí, revered as the most significant sanctuary of its region, was hidden from Spanish colonizers due to its sacred status dedicated to the deity Pachacámac. Historical testimonies, including those by Arzans de Orsúa y Vela (1736) and traditions near the Salar de Uyuni, affirm that this 'Apu' or mountain lord was associated with Pachacámac, a god of the subterranean world. Archaeological evidence, such as a 16th-century sacrifice at Lake Titicaca, further supports the presence of this deity in the Collasuyo region. The study highlights how the Inca later introduced solar worship, while Spanish colonizers reinterpreted the Cerro as an embodiment of the Virgin Mary, linking it to Pachamama or Mother Earth.

Gisbert, T. (2010). EL CERRO DE POTOSÍ Y EL DIOS PACHACÁMAC. Chungará (Arica), 42(1). https://doi.org/10.4067/s0717-73562010000100028