Head in the clouds in Salta, Argentina

‘It’s a mystery,” mountain guide Fernando Santamaria says, as we peer through an arched doorway. The “mystery” is an ancient throne made from slate, inside a boxy stone building in the remote desert of Salta in north-west Argentina. “It could have been used by an Inca general as their meeting room, or for religious ceremonies.” But it could also have been used as a bathroom. “For washing,” Fernando says quickly emphasising that it’s not that kind of “throne”.
The throne room is part of the Sillón del Inca archeological site, the ruins of a town that was one of the most southerly parts of... read more