HIGHLAND COMMUNITIES OF CENTRAL PERU—TSCHOPIK 23 
Choclococha is located in desolate puna country 
at the northwestern end of the small glacial lake of 
the same name at an altitude of approximately 
14,500 feet. Situated on a marshy pampa which 
is seamed by small meandering streams, it is 
hemmed in by bleak, rocky hills covered with tough 
ichu grass. Jagged snow-capped peaks rise to the 
north, and the surrounding hills are stony with 
old glacial moraines. Llamas, alpacas, sheep, a 
few head of small, thin cattle, and small, wooly 
ponies graze on the upland meadows. The region 
abounds in game. 
Although the village is situated about 42 miles 
distant from Huancavelica on the automobile road 
to Castrovirreina, Choclococha is isolated for all 
intents and purposes, since most traffic through 
the community consists of mining company trucks 
in transit. The village has no electricity and no 
post office, although the people of the town may 
use the telegraph office at Santa Inés mine, about 
7 miles distant. The water supply is furnished by 
the nearby streams. 
The village of Choclococha consists of some 40 
houses ranged along two roughly parallel cobble- 
stoned streets; spaces between the houses serve as 
transverse streets (pl. 5, a-c). At one time open 
stone-lined drains ran down the centers of these, 
but the acequias have long since fallen into disuse. 
At one end of the town stands a small thatch- 
roofed church, before which is a square, surtounded 
by low stone walls and overgrown with coarse 
grass. The one-room school is situated on this 
square next to the church. The village’s four 
shops, operated by Indians, are very poorly 
stocked; aside from the inevitable aguardiente, or 
distilled sugarcane liquor, candles, coca, small 
quantities of flour, aji peppers, and the like are 
offered for sale. 
The houses of the village consist of small, 
rectangular, gabled one-room units of field- 
stones set in adobe mortar; several of the newer 
houses are constructed of puddled adobe. All 
are thatched with ichu grass, and lack both 
windows and patios. Kitchens are for the most 
part small, separate stone huts, usually built 
against the side of the main house (pl. 5, a). 
Because the livestock are herded in outlying 
estancias or ranches, there are no corrals or out- 
buildings in the village proper. 
45 This elementary school, which was inaugurated in 1941, is attended by 25 
boys and 15 girls. 
Choclococha, which is ranked as a comunidad 
and which has an estimated population of 250, 
is an annex of Pilpichaca, the District capital 
some 15% miles distant. Although the village 
itself contains only about 150 inhabitants, an 
additional 100 live in scattered herders’ huts 
throughout the upland pasture region which 
pertains to the community. With the exception 
of the school teacher, a Mestiza from Huancave- 
lica, the entire population of Choclococha is 
Indian. Few, even among the male inhabitants, 
speak Spanish; Quechua is the language of the 
community. The essential lack of class distinc- 
tion in Choclococha is reflected by the undifferen- 
tiated house type, the identity of occupation 
(all of the inhabitants are said to be herders), 
and the similarity in dress, which for both sexes 
is in general like that described for Santa Barbara. 
Recently, however, and presumably owing to influ- 
ences emanating from the neighboring mines, some 
of the men and boys of the village have begun to 
wear overalls and shoes in the place of bayeta trou- 
sers and slipper-sandals. Aninformant summed up 
the class situation in Choclococha in these words: 
“We here are all poor shepherds; the only differ- 
ence is that some of us are poorer than others.” 
The officials of the village, all of whom are 
Indians, are teniente gobernador and four varayoc, 
including an alealde, a regidor, and two inspectores 
who correspond to the alguaciles of Santa Barbara. 
As in the latter village, the church is attended by 
a local sacristan, since there is no resident priest. 
Since Choclococha is located on the high pla- 
teau above the upper limits of agriculture, the 
village is totally lacking in farm land, and the 
herding of sheep, llamas, and alpacas provides the 
sole means of livelihood. Pigs and chickens are 
purchased from time to time for festive occasions, 
but are not ordinarily kept, because of the alti- 
tude and cold. Even guinea pigs are said not to 
be raised, owing to the fact that there is little to 
feed them. In order to supplement their meager 
and monotonous diet, the villagers frequently 
hunt viscachas, employing dogs for this purpose, 
and occasionally kill vicufa. 
Potatoes, grain, and vegetable products are ob- 
tained by trading wool, sheep pelts, woven prod- 
ucts, dried meat, and livestock. The inhabitants 
of Choclocecha are not accustomed to travel great 
distances, and few are said to have been farther 
away from home than to Huancavelica or to 
