ROCK ART AT CERRO MULATO
Maarten van Hoek Updated September 2006
| The name Mulato refers to the distinct red-brown colour of the rocks that are piled up in a chaotic way up the hill slope. The decorated rocks are mainly situated on the rather steep west slope of the Cerro. It is almost impossible to walk the area; rather one has to climb the rock piles, so be careful. From the higher spots one has a fantastic view over the flat countryside between the rugged hills of the area. In places Cerro Mulato is densely overgrown with scrub and cacti making access even more difficult. The decorated rocks occur all over the southern and western slopes (previous web page) and are often found in small concentrations. Many stones bear petroglyphs, but seldom more than five; in most cases a stone has only one petroglyph. Although there are many very fine designs that are easily visible, many others are heavily weathered because of their great age. All figures have been superficially pecked out. Deeply engraved petroglyphs do not occur. The use of infill-dots is remarkable, but is a characteristic of many other images at Cerro Mulato. Dots also occur as groups in random order or organised into designs such as cross-shaped figures (first photo). The fourth photo shows one of at least four cross-shaped designs. The most striking aspect of this design is that it occurs in a very large area. It is found at many places in Peru and Chile, but also is found in the south-west of the United States and for instance on Bonaire in the Caribbean Sea.
RESPONSIBLE VISTOR BEHAVIOUR AT ROCK ART SITES * Never touch or wet rock art - it is highly damaging * NEVER chalk or enhance petroglyphs * Do not walk on engraved rock * Leave all archaeological artefacts as they are * Only take photographs, only leave your footsteps |
Cerro Mulato probably has petroglyphs mainly dating from the Chavin Period. Consult the time chart.
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