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Location: The Andes Mountain Range, Southern Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Northern Chile (Llullaillco is on the border of Chile & Argentina)
Who Considers it Sacred? Indigenous people of the region
Significance: Part of a number of sacred mountains of the Andes that featured in the worship gods who bring rain and therefore fertility to the land. The Inca worshiped Llullaillaco and other sacred peaks of the Andes, possibly as centers of healing or fertility; conclusive evidence is still being determined by scholars.
The Threat: Industrial Development and Vandalism/Looting
Preservation Status: Llullaillaco itself is inaccessible from one side, due to a minefield, and is only accessible by four-wheel-drive from the other; however, local people still brave these dangers to loot artifacts from Llullaillaco and other sacred mountains of the Andes. But both looting and preservation are hindered by the lack of ready access to the mountains.
