The ancient archaeological site of Pucará, dated as early as 1,800 BC, is located to the west of the town.

There are also figures of mythological beings of men and animals, such as frogs, snakes, fish, and pumas.

This culture incorporated earlier communities of the Chiripa period, and ultimately dominated the entire lake region by 200 BC.

Pukara pottery and textiles are found widely in the middle Andean, and the coastal Pacific valleys, reaching out into Peru and Chile.

There are also several Qaluyu period settlements around the towns of Arapa and Taraco, and also in the Huancane-Putina river valley that have been discovered recently.

Near the town of Taraco, recent research[8] uncovered a long Qaluyu and Pucara archaeological sequence.