ALTO DE LA GUITARRA
Maarten van Hoek Updated September 2006
| RESPONSIBLE VISTOR BEHAVIOUR AT ROCK ART SITES
* Never touch or wet rock art - it is highly damaging * Never chalk or enhance engravings * Do not walk on engraved rock * Leave all archaeological artefacts as they are * Only take photographs, only leave your footsteps One of the most beautiful petroglyphs at Alto de la Guitarra is the boulder featuring a bird-shaped design, probably of Chavin or Cupisnique origin like several other petroglyphs at this site. The view from this stone to the south is very impressive (first photo). Alto de la Guitarra is situated SE of Trujillo in the north of Peru and can only be reached on foot (bring at least three litres of water with you). Alto de la Guitarra is on an ancient route from the Moche valley to the Viru valley where there is the rock art site of Queneto. The last bit of the trip from the Moche Valley involves a very steep ascent to a coll at about 890 m. From the highest point there is a wonderful view down to Alto de la Guitarra and its many scattered boulders. Directly below the pass is the first concentration of rock art executed on large granite boulders that often have an attractive dark brown-red patination. One of these boulders features a large design probably of Chavin origin. It shows a hybrid figure with a fish-tail and a feline head, while in a human-looking hand it holds a smaller fish (second photo). The third photo features a nearby stone with probably two warriors (or guardians, as you meet them walking up to the pass). One of the reasons that Alto de la Guitarra was so much visited by prehistoric artists may have been the often inspiring shapes of the granite boulders. According to Cristóbal Campana (2006) many of the (decorated) boulders were especially selected for their resemblance with zoomorphs or human faces. This decorated boulder (fourth photo) seems to mimic the huge mountain in the background; a feature also noted at Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu near Cusco, where huge slabs of stone were shaped probably to resemble mountains. My website features a web page where one can find examples of 'ESCULTURAS CON PETROGLIFOS' - by CRISTÓBAL CAMPANA DELGADO. Altough Alto de la Guitarra is well off the beaten track it nevertheless suffers from severe vandalism as you can see on the last photo above. This is one of two very large boulders bearing numerous petroglyphs that have been sprayed with paint. This is one of the worst instances of vandalism that I have seen in northern Peru and such practices should be punished severely by law. |
BACK TO THE MOCHE - VIRU VALLEYS 'ESCULTURAS CON PETROGLIFOS' - por CRISTÓBAL CAMPANA DELGADO One of the aspects that makes Alto de la Guitarra such a fascinating rock art site, is the often special shape of the smooth boulders. It seems that some of them have been selected to bear petroglyphs because their shape resembles an animal or a head of an animal. It is even possible that some boulders have been shaped to more resemble a specific animal. The following web page is intended to show the reader a few examples. IN SPANISH.
Alto de la Guitarra has petroglyphs mainly dating from the Chavin Period and besides those, from more recent periods. Consult the time chart.
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