THE TARAPACÁ PETROGLYPHS

The rock art site at Tarapacá is found in a deep quebrada (river gorge) where a small stream with salty banks comes down from the mountains to the east. Just south of the old village and on little higher ground is an extensive boulder field of which the northern end, nearest to the stream, contains a large number of engraved rocks. The rather small rocks of volcanic origin mostly have a deep brownish patination (desert varnish) in which the engravings have very superficially been pecked out. Dominating the imagery are cirles, sometimes with central dot (but never true cupules), zigzags (like in the middle photograph), animals and human figures (although sometimes humans are hard to distinguish from lizards). Rather exceptional is the occurrence of the so called 'diamond' figures comprising small pecked squares that form a cross (the Chacana or Andean Cross) or larger figures with more such pecked squares. Suprisingly such figures occur also as geoglyphs and then can be tens of metres in width (see the Pintados webpage). The simple Chacana in the third photograph is even more exceptional as it seems that it has been personified: the cross has two grooves added that look like raised arms and, even fainter, grooves that look like legs. Personification of geometric figures or lifeless objects is not uncommon in Andean arts.

The rock art at Tarapaca is found at a crossroads of important trading routes. From south to north runs a major route through the Atacama desert (see map on the other webpage), whereas the river gorge runs from the high Andes to the west where the river disappears in the desert east of Iquique. On such crossroads we often have large concentrations of petroglyphs (that are generally accepted to be older than the geoglyphs). The importnace of the crossroads is characterised by the frequent occurrence of depictions of camelids (most probably the domesticated species: llama and possibly alpaca; the wild vicuna may be depicted as an animal that was often hunted). Another important indication that here indeed an important stopping place had been established (because of the permanent water supply) are the many spots between the boulders where we find remains of ritual meals (often chicken) and places where pottery was ritually smashed against the boulders, an old Andean custom to propitiate the gods for safe travelling. Also frequently depicted at Tarapaca are distinct images of the sun. It is acceptable to suggest that much of the rock art at Tarapace is concerned with camelid-caravans and drought. The zigzag may therefore be regarded as a water symbol.

Camelids were highly venerated in Andean religion and also used in rituals to propitiate the gods. Another animal that was highly venerated is the jaguar, although the animal only occurs in the tropical forests east of the Andes. Feline spots however, were occasionally imposed upon other animals to imbue them with feline power. This llama at Tarapaca could for that reason have been decorated with spots. This is one of the very few exampleas at the site. Notice the very faint other figures, including the human, possibly beating a drum??

At this extensive site with only geoglyphs we also find many Chacanas (one of which is illustrated above).