Usnu, Ayacucho, Archaeological site in Vilcas Huamán District, Peru.

Usnu is an archaeological site in the town of Vilcashuamán, Ayacucho Region, Peru. Its name comes from the Quechua word for an altar or a special platform used for important celebrations, also spelled Ushno. Peru declared it a National Cultural Heritage on April 11, 2000.

Usnu is the Quechua word for a ceremonial platform, and the site lies in Vilcashuamán, a settlement the Inca chronicler Pedro Cieza de León called a principal and very important place of the Inca kingdom. He recorded beautiful buildings and a temple with great wealth there, and noted that two or three royal highways led from Vilcas. The site was declared National Cultural Heritage of Peru on 11 April 2000.

The name usnu is Quechua for an altar or a special platform for important celebrations, also spelled ushno. The site lies in the town of Vilcashuamán, in Vilcas Huamán District, Vilcas Huamán Province, Ayacucho Region. Peru declared it a National Cultural Heritage on 11 April 2000.

The site is best reached through organized tours from Ayacucho city, where local guides explain the structures and their context. Since it sits at high elevation, visitors should allow time for acclimatization and bring appropriate clothing.

The name Usnu comes from Quechua, meaning an altar or a special platform for important celebrations; it is also spelled Ushno. Peru declared the site a National Cultural Heritage on 11 April 2000. The chronicler León noted that two, perhaps three, royal Inca highways led to Vilcas.