Digging Through Legend: Help Uncover the Lost Inca Tunnels Hidden Beneath Cusco

 

A once-in-a-lifetime archaeological excavation. A race against time.

Join us in uncovering the truth behind the legendary and mysterious Chincana tunnels.

 

No one knows what’s at the heart of the mystery of the Chincanas, there are some theories that they span the entirety of the Tawantinsuyo (Incan Empire). With your help, we’ll find out — carefully, respectfully, and with cultural preservation in mind.

 

Let’s uncover the truth together!

 

⸻

The Mystery Beneath the Stones

 

For centuries, rumors have circulated about the chincanas — a vast and mysterious network of underground tunnels said to run beneath the ancient city of Cusco, Peru. In Quechua, chincana means “the place where one gets lost.”

 

Chronicled by Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century and whispered about by locals for generations, these tunnels have long been the stuff of legends. Some believe they were escape routes, others say they housed secret ceremonial spaces or sacred knowledge. Many people speculate this is also where the legendary Inca gold was hidden during the Spanish conquest.

 

Only a few of these passageways remained accessible, and explorers who entered these tunnels over the past 500 years often never returned. In response, about 150 years ago, the Peruvian government sealed off all known entrances. The tunnels were left untouched… until now.

⸻

​

​

Why We Need Your Help

 

On May 27, 2025, excavation officially began on a newly discovered section of the Chincanas beneath the ancient fortress of Sacsayhuaman. This groundbreaking discovery — led by Peruvian archaeologists Jorge Calero and Mildred Fernández — follows data generated using ground-penetrating radar, seismic analysis, and historical texts to pinpoint hidden tunnel locations.

 

A 12-month excavation permit has been granted by Peru’s Ministry of Culture. But now we’re racing against the clock — and we need your support to keep the dig alive.

 

⸻

​

​

Why This Matters

 

This isn’t just about unearthing stone walls.

It’s about rewriting history — with science, Indigenous knowledge, and integrity.

 

Already, fragments of ceramics with Incan iconography, and pieces of traditional garments have been recovered. But we’ve only just begun.

 

Your contribution funds:

• Fair salaries for over 20 archaeologists, engineers, excavation workers, archeology students, GPR technicians, photographers, and Quechua community members.

• Excavation tools, protective gear, and transport.

• Carbon dating, DNA analysis, and air quality testing inside the tunnels.

• Advanced tech: drones, ground-penetrating radar, magnetometers, and an unmanned ground vehicle.

• Photogrammetric 3D modeling of the interior of the Chincanas

• Dating the construction of the site through Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) , Cosmogenic Nuclides, and Uranium-Thorium.

 

As a secondary goal of this project, we intend to use a variety of methods to date the different time periods of construction within Sacsayhuamán to understand the true age of its foundations. We recently invited geologists from the US and Scotland to collect samples, and are patiently waiting on results.