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Ayacucho

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In the cave Pikimachay they have found rests of human presence, that date from 20.000 years BC. Between the 5th and 7th century the first Andean culture developed there, the culture Wari, whose capital was located in the area of Ayacucho. After this empire fell, it was the birth of a regional state chanka, conquered by the Incas, which became a very important provincial administration center called Vilcashuaman.

Spanish founded the San Juan de la Frontera town, in 1540, name that was changed to San Juan de la Victoria after the Chupas battle in 1542, although the name Huamanga is still in use.

On February 15th, 1825, the Libertador Simon Bolivar, baptized the city of Ayacucho to commemorate the 9th December 1824 battle, a decisive battle for Peru's independence. Now, Ayacucho is one of the rare cities in Peru to conserve its colonial architecture, whose houses and old churches give the impression that time has stopped.