Mountain Pilgrimage to Sixilera

CERUTI, MARÍA CONSTANZA

Atlanta

Conferencia; 15 Conference of the Americas; 2012

Georgia System of Universities

The ceremonial complex on mount Sixilera is located to the East of the Quebrada de Humahuaca, in northern Argentina. It is the destination of a unique Andean traditional pilgrimage in which participants ascend to elevations above 16,000 feet. The significant difficulties in the access to the mountain and its summit have caused this important religious phenomenon to remain virtually unknown to scholars of the Andean world, and even to a large part of the local humahuaqueño population. From an ethnographic perspective, this presentation provides a preliminary description of the rituals that take place on the heights of Mount Sixilera, including the processions to ascend and descend from the mountain carrying an image of Virgin Mary, accompanied by bands of panpipes or sikuris.