Puquios

Puquios are an ancient system of groundwater extraction and irrigation developed in the arid coastal regions of southern Peru. They consist of a network of vertical shafts connected by subterranean galleries that access an aquifer and deliver water to surface channels for irrigation. The vertical shafts, appearing as regular circular openings along hillsides, provide access points for maintenance and ventilation, and the underground tunnels channel water to the fields below by gravity.

Most puquios are found in the desert valleys near Nasca, Palpa, and Ica. The construction is pre-Columbian, with evidence of use before and during the Inca period, and continued into the early colonial era. The design relies on the natural groundwater table in the coastal aquifers and does not depend on surface rivers. Water is distributed through a system of canals and small irrigation ditches to farms and settlements.

Puquios are notable for their engineering in arid environments and represent a sophisticated example of preindustrial hydraulic management. They are vulnerable to earthquakes, climate variability, overdevelopment, and neglect, which can damage the tunnels or reduce groundwater access. Several puquio sites are protected as archaeological and cultural heritage in Peru, and research continues to study their architecture, hydrology, and social organization.