The Petroglyphs of Pusharo constitute a unique and extensive ancient

rock art In archaeology, rock art is human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type also ...

archaeological site in southeastern Peru's Manú National Park, an expanse of rain forest that still contains unexplored and little known areas, and for which an official government permit is required for entry.

Discovery

It appears that a

rubber tapper Rubber tapping is the process by which latex is collected from a rubber tree. The latex is harvested by slicing a groove into the bark of the tree at a depth of with a hooked knife and peeling back the bark. Trees must be approximately six years ...

who participated in a violent attack on indigenous people in 1909 may have been the first non-indigenous person to encounter the

petroglyph A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...

s, with the next visit having been made by Vicente Cenitagoya, a missionary of the Dominican Order, in 1921. A smattering of

adventurers An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme sp ...

began to arrive at the site in the 1950s, and in 1969 it was visited by the Peruvian physician Dr. Carlos Neuenschwander Landa (who would return in later years accompanied by Peruvian explorer, Sr. Santiago Yábar). In 1970 another Dominican, Padre Adolfo Torrealba, reached the site, followed by Japanese explorer Yoshiharo Sekino, and the French-Peruvian explorers Herbert and Nicole Cartagena in 1978. Two years later, it was visited by Peruvian

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

Federico Kauffmann Doig. In 1991 the party of North American explorer

Gregory Deyermenjian Gregory Deyermenjian (born 1949, Boston) is a psychologist and explorer. In 1981 he visited the ruins of Vilcabamba la Vieja at Espíritu Pampa, and then turned his attention to the northeast and north of Cusco, Peru. Since the mid-1980s he has ma ...

, including Peruvian explorer Paulino Mamani and the previously mentioned Santiago Yábar, arrived at Pusharo. The site has since been visited and studied by rock art scholar Rainer Hostnig. In 2008, it was the subject of a documentary-trek filmed for the BBC television series ''

Extreme Dreams Extreme may refer to: Science and mathematics Mathematics *Extreme point, a point in a convex set which does not lie in any open line segment joining two points in the set *Maxima and minima, extremes on a mathematical function Science *Extremop ...

'' presented by Ben Fogle. In 2016, the petroglyphs of the site played an important role in the research of Vincent Pélissier, as he searched for the mythical lost city of Paititi. In the research, the petroglyphs were interpreted as a map, leading from the glyphs to the city. The research assumes two things as fact: the petroglyphs are a map, and the carvings were made by the Inca. Neither of these assumptions have been proven definitively.

Description

The site is made up of an array of deeply incised rock carvings that cover up to a height of 9 feet, a perpendicular rock face that is over 100 feet long and 75 feet high. Its location is on the south shore of the Río Palatoa (designated on some maps at this location as the Porotoa, and known by others as the Palatoa Chico). The petroglyphs are thought by some researchers to be purely pan-Amazonian in origin, and of mistico-religious or shamanic significance to those Amerindians of past centuries who must have been their creators. Others believe that there is an Inca component that is now coming to light, and that the petroglyphs constitute parts of a map. Definitive word on the meaning of Pusharo's petro glyphs must wait until further research is conducted and completed. The petroglyphs contain elements such as heart-shaped faces, some with double borders, spirals, zigzags, suns, "curlicue Xs" and others that defy verbal description.

References

*''The Petroglyphs of Pusharo: Peru's Amazonian Riddle'' by

. Pub. 2000, Volume 2/Number 3 issue of Athena Revie

*Rainer Hostni

*"PUSHARO: La Memoria Recobrada de los Incas" by Thierry Jamin, Pub: 2007 *"Peru's Amazonian Eden: MANU", by Kim MacQuarrie, Pub: 1992 {{coord, 12.5843, S, 71.4860, W, source:wikidata, display=title Archaeological sites in Madre de Dios Region Archaeological sites in Peru Prehistoric art Rock art in South America