Quebrada Santo Domingo Geoglyphs
Santo Domingo de Moro Geoglyphs · Moro Valley Figures
Late Formative to Early Intermediate (Salinar–Recuay)·Salinar / Recuay (Pashash)·🇵🇪 La Libertad / Ancash, Santa Valley tributary, Peru
About
About Quebrada Santo Domingo Geoglyphs
A concentration of 40+ cleared-pavement geoglyphs on dark alluvial fans of Quebrada Santo Domingo, a tributary of the Santa Valley. The ensemble combines 15–38 m anthropomorphs, 210-m avenues and spiral motifs with low circular Moro-style cairn tombs. PUCP excavations (Ghezzi & Briceño 2018–2022) associated lines with Salinar–Recuay foothill communities (500 BCE–400 CE) via diagnostics and lichenometry, with Moche reuse. UAV photogrammetry reveals processional axes linking the terrace to a hilltop fortress (Pampa de Llamas outlier), interpreted as territorial ritual marking on the coastal–highland corridor.
Why it mattersNorthernmost coastal Andean geoglyph cluster bridging Casma-Sechin and Moche spheres.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Hillfort–geoglyph axial alignment
Theories
- 01Processional route to Pampa de Llamas fortress
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 BCE – 400 CE
- Period
- Late Formative to Early Intermediate (Salinar–Recuay)
- Culture
- Salinar / Recuay (Pashash)
- Builders
- Santa foothill agro-pastoral communities
- Purpose
- Territorial marking and hillfort processional way
- Abandoned
- c.600 CE
- Rediscovered
- 1970s Samaniego survey; 2018 PUCP drone mapping
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
500 BCE
Earliest spirals with Salinar sherds
2019
PUCP UAV maps 40 figures
On the ground
Structures & features
8.9650° S · 78.4850° W · 220 m · 2 mapped features
Raised-Arm Anthropomorph
geoglyph32-m anthropomorph on upper fan
8.9635° S · 78.4865° WNortheastern Avenue
earthwork210-m cleared avenue linking terrace to hillfort
8.9670° S · 78.4835° W