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Roadmap to Seek an Interdisciplinary Solution for a Sustainable Conservation of the Kuelap Fortress in Peru
Conference proceeding

Roadmap to Seek an Interdisciplinary Solution for a Sustainable Conservation of the Kuelap Fortress in Peru

Viviana Moreno, Guillermo J. Zavala, Miguel A. Pando and Rafael Aguilar
Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions, pp 2753-2764
2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-13469-1_219

Abstract

Interdisciplinarity Kuelap Monument stability Roadmap Information Management
Kuelap is a large archeological complex of the Chachapoyas, a pre-Columbian culture of the Amazonas region in northern Peru. Its main component is the Kuelap fortress, a 1500-year-old monumental structure built atop the Barreta mountain, which forms relatively flat platforms that permit construction, with a total area of approximately 55600m2. It is composed of a structural fill of stacked limestone pieces, with an average height of 20m, and a stone façade. The fortress has had recurring structural, hydrogeological and hydrological problems that have been attributed to different factors, such as water infiltration, erosion, and human activity. The most recent significant failure occurred along a portion of the south wall in April 2022, causing the fortress to be closed to the public for over a year. Several attempts to repair and stabilize the fortress have been done over the past decades, including a large excavation at the forementioned large crack, bracing in several locations, impermeabilization of surfaces, and dozens of diagnostic and partial intervention reports. However, a more integral approach considering all the factors causing the problems is required for a sustainable and effective solution. This paper summarizes the problems encountered in the fortress throughout the years, and describes a roadmap proposed by an engineering team to guide, not only the future conservation efforts that should be implemented at Kuelap, but also the information management system needed for the correct classification of the data that is permanently being created by all the disciplines performing works.

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