The photos above demonstrate that between March 1 (the first photo) and April 11 (the second photo) of this year, the geoglyph was removed from the earth and tilled by agricultural invaders.
The Peruvian Association of Rock Art (APAR) reported that the individuals responsible were indeed people who strived to rid the site of any archaeological evidence in the hopes of irrigating and occupying the land for agricultural purposes.
Representative of APAR, Victor Corcuera determined that the invaders did the damage intentionally as they only drove their machinery on the geoglyphs and left the remaining land un-furrowed, according to El Comercio.
Archaeologists have determined that the geoglyphs design belongs to a phase later than that of the Chimu culture. The figure was considered one of the most well-known of the geoglyphs recorded in the region.
José Carlos Orrillo Puga, photographer of the photos, believes these perpetrators will continue to destroy the sites. “There are dirt roads leading to other sectors where geoglyphs remain intact,” Puga said.
Archaeologist Gori Tumi Echevarria told El Comercio, “The destruction of the Triple Spiral is a disgrace to the Peruvian archaeology, which can not allow the evidence to be destroyed and go unpunished.”
The Ministry of Culture announced this year that it does not have the resources to protect more than 1,000 of Peru’s archaeological sites. Recent denouncements of invasions and destruction of sites has the Ministry struggling to protect its sites.
Author: Hillary Ojeda | Source: Peru this Week [April 16, 2015]