Tagua Tagua Valley is an important archaeological and paleontological site where diverse cultures and mega fauna inhabited in the surroundings of the old Lagoon of Taguatagua in different periods like Pleistocene, Paleo-Indian, Archaic and Woodland, 2.5 Millions of years to 500 years before the present.
To visit this places it was created the Archaeological Route of San Vicente de Tagua Tagua conformed by several landmarks:
• Lagoon Tagua Tagua and the Socavón: Until 200 years ago there was a wetland in Tagua Tagua Lagoon. Nevertheless in 1833, Javier Errázuriz owner of the farm dried the lagoon. After that process in the sector of the Socavón were found rest of 13 Gomphotheres, relative of Mammoth and Elephant, that lived in Chile about 12 thousand years ago.
• Fossil site: At El Salvador area there is a deposit of ancient fossils of marine species, such as shells of bivalves and even amonnites that lived 150 million years ago in the area when was covered by sea before the formation of the Andes Mountains.
• Cuchipuy Cemetery: Is the oldest cemetery in Chile and the third oldest in America. 100 human skeletons have been extracted from the site, one of them dating back 8 thousand years known as the "Man of Cuchipuy".
• Inca Pucará: Located on the hill La Muralla, is located the remains of the most southern Pucará (fort) of the Inca Empire. It is believed that the Inca occupation would correspond between the years 1,470 and 1,540 AD.
• La Laguna Museum: The site has a showroom of archaeological and paleontological materials. It is located in Camino La Laguna (without number). Free entry.
Located in the vicinity of the village of San Vicente de Tagua Tagua, 54 km from Rancagua, in the Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins Region. It is 155 km South of Santiago.
From Santiago take the Route 5 South until you reach the Fruit Road or Route H-66 to San Vicente de Tagua Tagua. From the South it is accessed by Route 5 South to the North. Passing Cañadilla take the route I-90-H that goes to Angostura and combines with Route 66 and arrives at San Vicente de Tagua Tagua.
The history of this place has its origins about 13,000 years ago, at the end of the last Glacial Period, with the first human settlements in the country. There are vestiges that attest to the presence of these woodland communities. The Incas who arrived in this area, constituted the last frontier of their empire, the Inca Collasuyo, and of their presence remain the pieces of a Pucará.
The Ecological Action and Conservation Group Añañuca together with the PAR EXPLORA program from O'Higgins Region, the Catholic University of Maule and the Municipality of San Vicente de Tagua Tagua, since 2012 are developing the Archeological Route named "Natural History of Tagua Tagua" located in the commune of San Vicente. Archaeologists at the National Museum of Natural History are currently conducting surveys in La Muralla Hill, to date the period of antiquity of the Pucará fort and find more pieces for its conservation.
Project developed with the support of: