Chaviña Pampa West Quebrada Jaccra Geoglyphs (Quebrada Jaccra Canyon Head)
Jaccra Canyon Geoglyphs · Western Chaviña Gorge Figures
Early Intermediate (Nazca 5–7, 200 BCE–600 CE)·Lucanas Nazca–Huarpa canyon groups·🇵🇪 Ayacucho Region, Lucanas Province, Quebrada Jaccra Headwest of Pampa Chaviña (Jaccra gorge incision), Peru
About
About Chaviña Pampa West Quebrada Jaccra Geoglyphs (Quebrada Jaccra Canyon Head)
Western canyon-head incision (3,650 m) of Pampa Chaviña where plateau drops 330 m into Quebrada Jaccra gorge toward Lucanas valley (Chaviña village 9 km). 24 figures on steep 18° talus slope visible only from opposite gorge rim: 15–36 m anthropomorphs with arms aloft, 8 m double spiral, and 110 m arrow descending gorge throat marking water access to Jaccra springs (perennial at 3,400 m). Technique transitional: varnished pavement on plateau rim plus petroglyph pecking on Jaccra basalt gorge wall at spring.
Offerings: miniature apacheta cairns (40 cm) at figure feet with obsidian Quispisisa flakes. Radiocarbon on associated hut floor: 430±30 CE (Nazca 5–7). Jaccra spring is critical Puquio–Nazca water before 40 km desert crossing. Figures orient down-gorge, not to plateau, signalling gorge descent.
Why it mattersOnly canyon-head geoglyph-to-petroglyph continuum marking desert water threshold on transverse.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Arms-aloft icon vs Nazca valley anthropomorph lineage
Theories
- 01Gorge descent signal for 40 km desert crossing provisioning
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.200 BCE – 600 CE
- Period
- Early Intermediate (Nazca 5–7, 200 BCE–600 CE)
- Culture
- Lucanas Nazca–Huarpa canyon groups
- Builders
- Jaccra gorge herders + Nazca corridor caravaneers
- Purpose
- Gorge descent beacon to Jaccra perennial springs on Puquio–Nazca desert crossing
- Abandoned
- c.700 CE
- Rediscovered
- 2018 Pampa Chaviña west gorge drone survey
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
200 BCE
Plateau rim anthropomorphs
430 CE
Hut floor C14 430±30 at spiral
2018
Drone maps west gorge 24 figures
On the ground
Structures & features
15.0200° S · 73.8800° W · 3650 m · 3 mapped features
Jaccra Arms-Aloft Anthropomorph Row
geoglyph15–36 m figures with arms aloft on 18° talus, facing gorge
15.0190° S · 73.8790° WJaccra Double Spiral (8 m)
geoglyph8 m double spiral at plateau rim — Chavín lineage variant
15.0220° S · 73.8810° WJaccra Spring Arrow (110 m)
earthwork110-m arrow descending to Jaccra springs at 3400 m
15.0240° S · 73.8830° W