The agricultural sector occupies all the southeastern part of the citadel. It presents a series of terraces of different shapes and sizes built into the hillsides that are up to 4 meters in height, and whose two main purposes were for crop growing and controlling rain-produced erosion.
The agricultural sector is divided into an upper and lower half. The upper half presents five sections, the Apacheta (sacred marking stone), and over forty terraces. The lower half has seven sections, four major fields and around 80 terraces.
The almost infinite succession of these agricultural terraces extends horizontally around the mountain. They seem to be connected in different ways: some by stairways formed by steps projecting from the containment walls of the terraces or hollow footholds cut out of them, and others by long stairways with many steps. The layout of the terraces or platforms is perfectly harmonious with the setting, giving the impression that the hillsides have been sculpted to harmonize with nature.
It should be noted that the terraces in the top part of the access road were used for agricultural purposes, because they were broader and had projecting steps, contrasting with the lower ones that served to avoid erosion produced by heavy rains in the area. There is only one irrigation channel feeding the area, over which there are some rooms with thatch roofs, that seemingly were used as storehouses (called collpas in quechua).
Among its main points of interest may be noted:
The Funeral Rock: archaeologists found human
remains belonging to burials. Some stones with grooves at the top
were also found, which possibly were used for offerings. There is
a ritual granite-type rock with steps carved into it at the top
of which there is a space apparently carved out to accommodate a
reclining human body.
The Guard Post: this is found before the main
gate and consists of a three-walled building with windows, from
which the urban and agricultural areas can be seen, as well as all
the surroundings. It is an ideal place to take photographs of the
Urubamba valley.
