The Inca occupation of the Southern Andes involved the physical access to summits over 5.000 meters above sea level for the purpose of sacrifices and offerings articulated within the frame of the capacocha ceremonies The survey of dozens of peaks in diverse orographic systems in the argentine territory from the volcanoes in the Puna highlands to the mountain ranges in the southernmost corner of the Inca empire conform a wide range of archaeological data which can be interpreted with the help of historical sources, as well as ethnographic and ethno-archaeological models. In this paper we approach the diversity of the mountaintop shrines surveyed and excavated by the author in Argentina, which is interpreted in relation to the social use, political purpose and symbolic meaning of the sacred geography in the strategies of legitimization of the Inca domination in the Andes.

The relationship between the Croatian massif known as Mount Ucka, Slavic mythology, tourism and popular religiosity in northern Croatia is addressed in this paper. For this, informal interviews and anthropological field observations are carried out on the buttresses and the summit of Vojak Peak, in the Poclón mountain refuge, in the villages of Veprinac and Volosco; and in the sanctuary of Trsat, an important place of pilgrimage and popular Christian devotion, located on a hill near Mount Ucka. In addition, the symbolic construction of the sacred mountain and its importance in strengthening the Croatian identity are analyzed, taking into account the recreation of Slavic mythology through its representation in the tourist brochures of the Opatija Riviera. Also, for comparative purposes for the present investigation, other sacred mountains in Croatia such as Mount Vidova Gora on the islan...

The relationship between the Croatian massif known as Mount Ucka, Slavic mythology, tourism and popular religiosity in northern Croatia is addressed in this paper. For this, informal interviews and anthropological field observations are carried out on the buttresses and the summit of Vojak Peak, in the Poclón mountain refuge, in the villages of Veprinac and Volosco; and in the sanctuary of Trsat, an important place of pilgrimage and popular Christian devotion, located on a hill near Mount Ucka. In addition, the symbolic construction of the sacred mountain and its importance in strengthening the Croatian identity are analyzed, taking into account the recreation of Slavic mythology through its representation in the tourist brochures of the Opatija Riviera. Also, for comparative purposes for the present investigation, other sacred mountains in Croatia such as Mount Vidova Gora on the islan...

Los niños momificados recuperados de la cima del volcán Llullaillaco, en los Andes de Argentina, constituyen un ejemplo pocas veces igualado de la visibilidad arqueológica de actores sociales, ya que sus rostros se encuentran casi perfectamente preservados desde el momento de su muerte, hace más de medio milenio. La extraordinaria conservación de la evidencia bioantropológica del Llullaillaco ha permitido abordar temas relativos a la identidad y estatus social de las víctimas sacrificiales en el imperio inca. Los estudios interdisciplinarios en los cuerpos congelados de la doncella y los niños del Llullaillaco —que involucraron técnicas de paleoradiología (radiografías y tomografías computarizadas), estudios de odontología antropológica, exámenes de paleopatología, estudios de ADN antiguo y análisis de cabello— han provisto a los científicos de resultados tangibles ...

The relationship between the Croatian massif known as Mount Ucka, Slavic mythology, tourism and popular religiosity in northern Croatia is addressed in this paper. For this, informal interviews and anthropological field observations are carried out on the buttresses and the summit of Vojak Peak, in the Poclón mountain refuge, in the villages of Veprinac and Volosco; and in the sanctuary of Trsat, an important place of pilgrimage and popular Christian devotion, located on a hill near Mount Ucka. In addition, the symbolic construction of the sacred mountain and its importance in strengthening the Croatian identity are analyzed, taking into account the recreation of Slavic mythology through its representation in the tourist brochures of the Opatija Riviera. Also, for comparative purposes for the present investigation, other sacred mountains in Croatia such as Mount Vidova Gora on the islan...

In recent decades, there has been an increase in religious tourism to the sanctuaries in the Basque mountains, among which the San Miguel of Aralar stands out for its unique tangible and intangible heritage. Built on the heights of a karst massif lined with chasms and underground caverns, San Miguel Excelsis is a monumental center of Christian pilgrimage adorned with medieval legends of dragons and doomed knights. The ceremonial complex is located below the Altxueta peak, which boasts telecommunications antennas and a sports landmark erected by a local mountaineering club. The author shared with young local devotees the ascent on foot from the Zamartze monastery to the sanctuary on the heights of Aralar, and made a brief solo ascent to the Altxueta summit. In successive visits to the temple of San Miguel, she informally interviewed the custodian sacristan and shepherds who work and live ...

Lussari is a Marian sanctuary located at the eastern end of the Alpine arc, attracting Italian, Austrian, and predominantly Slovenian pilgrims for the past six centuries. Hiking, religious tourism, and pilgrimage exposelocal residents and foreign visitors to a direct experience of the symbolic dimension of the Alpine mountain.This research was based on participant observation during the Pilgrim’s Path, the ascent to the Hunter’s Peaks, and the visit to the sanctuary on the heights of Lussari. It included interviews with visitors, pilgrims, and locals; photographic documentation of ritual settings –summit crosses, chapels, Stations of the Cross, etc.–; readings from the summit book and the book of intentions in the temple; interpretation of ex-votos, offerings, and commemorative plaques; and documentation such as photographic records and field notes. The analysis focused on the sy...

Santa Tecla, a Galician mountain with a sacredness that dates back to Celtic antiquity and remains valid to this day through religious tourism, is the subject of this significant research. This study aimed to analyse and interpret the importance of this sacred hill in the context of the coastal cultural landscape in the extreme south of Galicia. The methodology is based on participant observation during an ascent on foot to the summit from the town of La Guarda, visiting the Galician-Roman fort of Santa Trega, the archaeological museum of the same name, the viewpoints on Pico San Francisco and the hermitage dedicated to the Saint; as well as in the collection of spontaneous testimonies from visitors, pilgrims and locals; an informal interview with the person in charge of the sanctuary and the photographic record of votive offerings, religious images and souvenirs. The observations reveal...

Desde una perspectiva etnográfica sustentada en la observación participante, el presente trabajo aborda la peregrinación a pie al santuario dedicado al Señor de Sumalao, ubicado a casi cuarenta kilómetros al sur de la ciudad de Salta, en el centro del valle de Lerma, en el norte de Argentina. El santuario ha conservado su papel regional como feria comercial desde el período colonial, habiendo crecido su importancia como centro de peregrinaje religioso, hasta convertirse en la segunda festividad más multitudinaria en territorio salteño. El estudio recoge cuidadosamente los testimonios espontáneos de los peregrinos y las vicisitudes de una maratónica caminata nocturna bajo gélidas temperaturas invernales, arrojando luz sobre los riquísimos matices de las devociones populares andinas y su compleja inserción en la multiculturalidad del norte argentino.