Sierra de las Quijadas — Potrero Eastern Ridge Outlier Chapels (Potrero East Ridge)
Potrero East Ridge Chapels · Sierra Eastern Outlier · Quijadas East Ridge Causeway
Hypothetical pre-Hispanic to Historic·Hypothetical Huarpe / Historic pastoral·🇦🇷 San Luis Province, Sierra de las Quijadas, Potrero de la Aguada eastern rim ridge, Argentina
About
About Sierra de las Quijadas — Potrero Eastern Ridge Outlier Chapels (Potrero East Ridge)
Hypothetical eastern rim ridge outlier above Potrero de la Aguada's eastern cliffs, where internet claims posit a 600 m ridgeline avenue and chapel-like stone circles on the Sierra de las Quijadas eastern escarpment overlooking the amphitheatre. Distinct from southern and northern potrero sectors in wave-6 and the central causeway above, this eastern ridge preserves 3 circular stone alignments 6 m diam at 880 m, 600 m ridge-wall trace and rock-art boulder with pecked lines. No diagnostics; 2018 San Luis University survey found circles are historic pircas (stock shelters) with 19th c. bottle glass and sandstone exfoliation pavements. Ridge wall follows iron-crust cuesta bedding.
Why it mattersEastern outlier tests ridge shrine expectations; circles illustrate pirca folklore vs pre-Hispanic claims in Monte ecotone.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether circles are shrines or shepherd shelters
- 02Attribution of pecked lines to art vs exfoliation?
Theories
- 01Pircas reuse natural ridge pavement as windbreaks
- 02Ridge wall is natural iron-crust cuesta
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- undated hypothetical; claimed Huarpe 1200 CE vs historic 1800s pircas
- Period
- Hypothetical pre-Hispanic to Historic
- Culture
- Hypothetical Huarpe / Historic pastoral
- Builders
- Unverified
- Purpose
- Hypothetical ridge shrine avenue vs pastoral shelter
- Abandoned
- Historic 19th c. pircas
- Rediscovered
- 2010s satellite-enthusiast claims; eastern ridge survey 2018
- Excavation
- Unexcavated
c. 1200 CE claimed
Hypothetical Huarpe ridge shrines (unverified)
1800s
Pircas built with bottle glass, historic shepherding
2018
University survey: pircas + natural bedding wall
On the ground
Structures & features
32.5420° S · 67.0520° W · 880 m · 3 mapped features
Eastern Ridge Wall Trace (600 m)
wall600 m ridge wall along eastern rim cuesta at 880 m
32.5425° S · 67.0525° WChapels: 3 Stone Circles (6 m diam)
circleThree 6 m circles on ridge as pircas
32.5420° S · 67.0520° WPecked-Line Boulder (2×1.5 m)
rock artBoulder with exfoliation lines at ridge edge
32.5415° S · 67.0522° W