Morro del Tulcán, Pre-Columbian pyramid in Popayán, Colombia.
Morro del Tulcán is an artificial mound shaped like a truncated pyramid located in Popayán at 1,760 meters elevation. The structure consists of clay bricks and earth layers stacked many meters high.
Archaeological work in the 1950s showed that the site was built between 500 and 1,600 BCE. The mound served as a burial place and was later covered by colonial-era structures.
The site shows how indigenous communities wove religious and ceremonial spaces into their settlements. The building method using clay bricks and earth reflects the craftsmanship that people in this region possessed centuries ago.
The site is open year-round and sits within the city of Popayán, making it easy to reach on foot from downtown. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes, as the paths to the top climb uphill and can be slippery in wet weather.
In the 2020s, removal of colonial monuments from the site prompted fresh excavations that revealed more about the original construction. This modern intervention helped expose layers that had been hidden beneath later structures for centuries.
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