Posted on 10/03/2007 2:50:55 PM PDT by Fred Nerks
A team of Canary investigators is currently in remotest Peru to study a startling new archaeological discovery which came to light recently in Choquequirao, an ancient Inca site which is being described in glowing terms as Machu Picchus twin town.
The find consists of a line of white stone llamas embedded in massive terraced stone walls and which, it is thought, could well form part of the entrance to the sacred valley of the Incas.
And make no mistake - the expedition to Choquequirao is no jolly. The three men and two women face a gruelling five days on foot and mule along badly eroded and slippery tracks, in 100% humidity and in full rainy season. But its one they have already done just three months ago and now they are hoping to find more of the mysterious llamas.
After the hardships, mosquitoes and slips along the way what we found was truly worth all the trouble, said team member Rubén Naveros of La Lagunas Museum of Science and the Cosmos.
Geometric figure
A white stone artwork depicting a llama in Choquequirao, Peru.
So far 33 of the elegant, minimalist llamas have been uncovered, hidden behind and beneath thick vegetation, but the team thinks there could be as many as a hundred, maybe more. The frieze is unique and has caused a considerable ripple of excitement in the archaeological world because nothing remotely like it has been found in Inca architecture before. Another member of the team explained how, on that first visit they had been puzzled by the fact that the mysterious stone complex appeared not to conform to the usual Inca pattern of being constructed in line with the sun. But they had eventually unearthed evidence of aligned white stones set in black earth and buried underneath centuries of dust and undergrowth. It seems this was the place where the Incas ritually sacrificed selected llamas. The far-flung nature of the site can be judged by Gotzon Cañadass account of spending 22 hours on a bus from Lima to Cuzco, followed by a 4 hour switchback mountain journey in a cramped minibus to the tiny town of Cachora. It was like worlds end, he said. Then came the five day mule ride up the Vilcabamba mountains to Choquequirao, perched at an altitude of 3,300 metres above sea level.
At first glance Cachora might well have been far from the madding crowd, but on the return journey and after 65 kilometres in the wilds on the back of a mule it was civilization itself. As far as we were concerned it was Manhattan, smiled Cañadas as he prepared to pack his bags and fly off to Peru with the rest of the team, on a quest to bring the white llamas back to life.
Yup. I saw that...I think we had a posting on it.
The Atacama Geoglyphs are more numerous and widespread than their more famous counparts at Nazca. They are found in the Chilean Atacama desert in the nort east of the country. They can be found in an area of over 100 square miles . They depict many subjects, Llamas and similar animals e.g. vicunas. Lizards, fish, birds, crosses, humans, chessboards and other geometric designs. They can be found alone or in groups some as many as 65 geoglyphs. The smallest figure is about 1m tall and the largest the Atacama Giant 115m high. They are found near major trade routes in the area and like all geoglyphs can only be seen from the air. Dating these geoglyphs is very difficult as newer ones have been overlaid, there is some evidence that they may be 2500 years old.
Canaries have investigators - who knew ?
I did but I ain't singin'........
No, Fernando.......of "Fine (bogus) Corinthian Leather" fame......
http://googlesightseeing.com/maps?p=1292&c=&t=k&hl=en&ll=-19.203842,-70.008482&z=18
what does it all mean...?
I demand reparations!
I don’t know, You’ve got me.
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"Let's see... our Sacred Valley willlllbeeeeeeee... THIS ONE." "How about we put in some big stick-figure llamas." "Good idea." Thanks Fred Nerks for the topic, and for the pings, thanks blam and CholeraJoe. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. |
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Sufferin’ succotash.
Do you realize that the terraces picture you have posted looks (from the air) very much like a front end loader being driven by a recumbent alien?
Could this be a signal to Gods from Space that the incas broke or wore out the great machines left by alien visitors and need more of them?
Perhaps this is the reason the culture ultimately failed—the lack of machines necessary for moving huge stones and building terraces.
NEATO!
That's been known for decades.
Yes, the theory about the lack of machines has been around for a while, but you have discovered, albeit second-hand, a picture which proves that the ancient incas knew about front end loaders.
I suggest you send the pic to Erich Von Daeniken who could write a new book, “Front End Loaders of the Gods”
www.daniken.com
Our Irish driver pointed out a big clump of trees on a hill and explained it was an old stone fort from the Middle ages. I just rolled my eyes. It was obviously a Druid Sacred Grove. I'll bet if it was excavated, it has a well with a whole oak tree in it.
It sounds like an interesting field of study.
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