building Spanish Cuzco; within a few years, they had taken apart and demolished much of the complex. The site was destroyed block by block to salvage materials with which to build the new Spanish governmental and religious buildings of the colonial city, as well as the houses of the wealthiest Spaniards. In the words of Garcilaso de la Vega (1966:471 [1609: Part 1, Book. Bk. 7, Ch. 29]): "to save themselves the expense, effort and delay with which the Indians worked the stone, they pulled down all the smooth masonry in the walls. There is indeed not a house in the city that has not been made of this stone, or at least the houses built by the Spaniards."Today, only the stones that were too large to be easily moved remain at the site. On 13 March 2008, archaeologists discovered additional ruins at the periphery of Sacsayhuamán. It has been theorized that the site was first built upon during the Killke period, which preceded the Inca. While appearing ceremonial in nature, the exact function remains unknown. In January 2010, parts of the site were damaged during periods of heavy rainfall in the region. Modern-day use Peruvians continue to celebrate Inti Raymi, the annual Inca festival of the winter solstice and new year. It is held near Sacsayhuamán on 24 June. Another important festival is Warachikuy, held there annually on the third Sunday of September. Some people from Cusco use the large field within the walls of the complex for jogging, t'ai chi, and other athletic activities. See also List of buildings and structures in Cusco List of megalithic sites Huaca de Chena References External links BBC Article New Discoveries at Sacsayhuamán World's Greatest Riddles Mystery of Sacsayhuamán Lost ancient cities and towns Buildings and structures in Cusco Ruins in Peru Inca Esoteric anthropogenesis Archaeological sites in Peru Archaeological sites in Cusco Region Tourist attractions in Cusco Region Forts in Peru Polygonal masonry