Majes-Sihuas Valley Pampa Geoglyphs (Quilcapampa)
Quilcapampa Circular Geoglyphs · Sihuas River Geoglyph Field
Middle Horizon (Wari expansion) with Early Horizon pathways·Wari / Majes rock-art / Sihuas valley agro-pastoral·🇵🇪 Arequipa Region, Castilla Province, Majes-Sihuas drainage, Peru
About
About Majes-Sihuas Valley Pampa Geoglyphs (Quilcapampa)
Large hill-figure and circle geoglyph field on the inter-valley pampa between Río Majes and Río Sihuas (1,450 m), centered near Quilcapampa Wari town (Middle Horizon). Jennings et al. (Antiquity 2019; Livescience 2018) mapped 80+ anthropogenic pathways and 35 circular geoglyphs 3-55 m diameter, plus 40-90 m cleared avenues on fog-trapped desert pavement, visible via UAV and satellite. Smaller circles visible from ground; larger only from above. Relationship to Majes rock-art style (Toro Muerto, Alto de Pitis) studied by TRACCE: several avenues reuse petroglyph boulders as cairn markers on pre-Hispanic llama caravan paths from highland to coast.
Simulation modelling shows pathways optimized for loaded llama travel time before Spanish.
Why it mattersOnly Andean geoglyph field with coupled fieldwork+drone+simulation pathway analysis.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Circle vs pathway chronology
Theories
- 01Wari imperial logistics marking
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.500-1000 CE (with earlier Formative pathways)
- Period
- Middle Horizon (Wari expansion) with Early Horizon pathways
- Culture
- Wari / Majes rock-art / Sihuas valley agro-pastoral
- Builders
- Majes-Sihuas pampa line builders, co-opted by Wari Quilcapampa
- Purpose
- Caravan pathway marking and ritual circles at rest stops
- Abandoned
- c.1100 CE
- Rediscovered
- 2016-2019 Jennings UAV mapping
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
2016
UAV + satellite baseline mapping
2019
Antiquity spatial-analysis publication
On the ground
Structures & features
16.1800° S · 72.5500° W · 1450 m · 2 mapped features
Quilcapampa Large Circle Geoglyph
geoglyph55-m circular cleared ring on pampa east of town
16.1780° S · 72.5480° WSihuas Pan-American Pathway
earthwork1.4 km llama caravan pathway with lateral geoglyphs
16.1820° S · 72.5520° W