The archaeological site of Tambo Viejo is located at 20 km from the sea and immediately south of the current town of Acarí, Caravelí province, Arequipa region, in southwestern Peru.

The walls of the Tambo Viejo buildings were built with two rows of boulders joined with mortar, with the exterior face plastered to create a uniform surface to which were added rectangular adobe bricks, many of which have collapsed over time.

The fact that there are no trapezoidal windows, niches or doors would seem to indicate that the architects responsible for Tambo Viejo were local and less familiar with Inca aesthetic canons.

During recent excavations, four naturally mummified llamas and another in a state of decomposition were found under the pavement of one of the corners of the main square, showing in good condition the ornaments with which they were adorned for a sacrificial ceremony, including earrings, bracelets and necklaces, as well as a hundred offerings of cuyes (guinea pigs).

[7] Recent excavations near Plaza 2 found some artefacts used for the game of pichqa (the number five in Quechua), which consists of a die with different markings on five of its faces,[8] as well as clay ovens that seem to have been used to roast meals on special occasions,[9] which presents evidence of the type of socialization of the Inca culture in an administrative center such as Tambo Viejo.