Archaeologists excavating the ancient site of Ollape in northern Peru have discovered a rare stone object identified as a possible pre-Hispanic die. The find could offer new clues about games, beliefs, and ritual practices among ancient Andean communities.
Researchers from the Kuelap Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology Research, or INAAK, at the Toribio Rodriguez de Mendoza National University of Amazonas discovered it during ongoing excavations at the site.
Rare artifact found outside ancient structure
The team uncovered the object in Excavation Unit 05, Grid B, outside one of Ollape’s structures. Archaeologists were removing a deposit of long stones resembling architectural cornices when they found the artifact. The stones had been piled together without mortar and showed no clear arrangement. Researchers believe they had been moved from their original positions and deposited there later.
The deposit also contained organic material that had accumulated over centuries in the forested environment surrounding Ollape. The artifact itself was carved from sandstone. It has an elongated, prism-like shape, worked surfaces, and horizontal incisions across its faces.
The object resembles an Andean pishca
Based on its features, researchers identified the object as a possible “pishca,” also known as “pichca.” The name is linked to the Quechua word pichqa, meaning “five.” Pishcas are known from archaeological and historical sources in the Andes. Researchers have associated similar objects with games and chance. Some evidence suggests they may also have been used in ritual practices.
Other discoveries are providing evidence of the importance of ritual objects in ancient Andean societies. Archaeologists recently discovered small stone sculptures at Kuélap linked to Inca-era fertility rituals, also in Peru’s Amazonas region.
Archaeologists in Peru have discovered a rare pre-Hispanic stone “die” at the ancient site of Ollape.
Known as a pishca, the artifact may date to around 1400 A.D. and could offer new clues about games, luck and ritual practices in the ancient Andes. pic.twitter.com/h7KpBl4lnk
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) September 18, 2026
The Ollape example is unusual because such artifacts are rare in Peru’s archaeological record. Researchers say it is the first pishca recovered through a professional archaeological excavation in northern Peru.
A small number of comparable objects have previously been documented at sites including Machu Picchu, Pachacamac and Huaca Tres Palos in Lima. Archaeological research at Pachacamac has also provided evidence of ritual objects and long-distance connections between the Amazon and the Andean coast. Unlike previously documented pishcas made from wood or ceramic, the newly discovered artifact at Ollape was carved from sandstone.
Find may date to Inca occupation
Archaeologist Pablo Solis, who leads the Ollape research, said the object may date to the period of Inca occupation in the Amazonas region, around 1400 A.D. The estimate is based on pottery recovered from the archaeological context. Researchers have not yet completed radiocarbon analysis that could help establish a more precise date.
Recent archaeological discoveries have continued to reveal the scale and complexity of Inca activity across Peru. In August, researchers discovered previously unknown Inca roads near Machu Picchu, showing that development extended farther across the Urubamba Valley than previously documented.
Ollape is a major Chachapoya archaeological site near La Jalca in Peru’s Chachapoyas province. It contains circular stone structures and other remains linked to communities that inhabited the Utcubamba Valley before and during Inca expansion. Researchers are now studying the artifact to determine its purpose and significance. Questions remain over whether it was used mainly for games, ritual activities, or a combination of both.
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