Las Saywas del Inca en el Desierto de Atacama: una Inscripción del Calendario en el Qhapaq Ñan?

Research reveals that the 'saywas'—columnar markers along Qhapaq Ñan, the Andean Road System in Chile's Atacama Desert—served as inscriptions of the Inca calendar, aligning with solar cults and marking significant solsticial dates. Unlike rigid measurement units, these tupus varied in dimensions based on contextual factors, reflecting a flexible yet precise spatial-temporal logic. The study combines ethnohistoric and archaeoastronomic methods to demonstrate that saywas, akin to Cuzco's astronomical columns, functioned as temporal indicators along the Inca road network, extending their role beyond capital-centric observations.

Sanhueza Tohá, C. (2017). LAS SAYWAS DEL INKA EN EL DESIERTO DE ATACAMA: UNA INSCRIPCIÓN DEL CALENDARIO EN EL QHAPAQ ÑAN? Boletín Del Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, 22(2), 133–152. https://doi.org/10.4067/s0718-68942017000200133