Paititi — Pusharo Ridge Western Terrace at Manú Headwaters (Madre de Dios West) — v2
Pusharo West Paititi · Paititi Western Ridge · Manú Paititi West
Hypothetical Late Horizon (?) Late Intermediate ambiguous pre-Columbian hypothesis·Hypothetical Inca refuge / pre-Inca (unvalidated)·🇵🇪 Madre de Dios / Cuzco, Manú, Pantiacolla cordillera, Pusharo ridge western slope west of petroglyphs, Peru
About
About Paititi — Pusharo Ridge Western Terrace at Manú Headwaters (Madre de Dios West) — v2
Western Pusharo ridge hypothesis for Gran Paititi on west slope of Pusharo divide separating Pantiacolla and Manú drainages opposite 2021 east-ridge lidar block already in database, where 2022 SERNANP-requested lidar snippet showed 1.5 km rectilinear terrace edge 0.7 m high under montane forest canopy with two 10 m circular depressions and Inka-style trapezoidal niche boulder. Ground check 2022 found no masonry — only colluvial laterite and 1450 CE charcoal lens ambiguous campfire. Hypothesis contested: terrace is landslide bench of Pantiacolla sandstone, depressions are tree-throw pits, niche is natural exfoliation. Treated hypothetical pending larger lidar and excavation.
Why it mattersTests Paititi west vs east ridge models: lidar rectilinearity proves bench geometry but not masonry; depressions are tree-throw; niche exfoliation; third Pusharo ridge variant clarifies Manú Pantiacolla geoarchaeology pitfalls.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Is 1.5 km bench terrace vs landslide head scarp?
- 02Are 10 m pits pit-house vs blowdown?
Theories
- 01Pusharo west bench is colluvial landslide niche of Pantiacolla fault scarp, not Inca wall
- 02If cultural, would be pre-Inca Huaro agrarian terrace not Inca refuge
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- hypothetical 1450 CE charcoal lens if cultural, else natural Holocene bench
- Period
- Hypothetical Late Horizon (?) Late Intermediate ambiguous pre-Columbian hypothesis
- Culture
- Hypothetical Inca refuge / pre-Inca (unvalidated)
- Purpose
- Gran Paititi refuge hypothesis western variant — terrace and niche refuge claim vs natural bench
- Abandoned
- unknown leaf litter covered
- Rediscovered
- No INI lidar; 2022 ground truth by SERNANP–UNSAAC west Pusharo
- Excavation
- Unexcavated
c. 1450 CE
Charcoal lens at ridge — if cultural terrace building, if natural montane burn
2009–2015
Jamin and Paititi seekers promote Pusharo west ridge as 'Paititi west gate'
2022
SERNANP west ridge lidar + ground truth finds 1.5 km bench but no ceramics
On the ground
Structures & features
12.7450° S · 71.3850° W · 720 m · 3 mapped features
1.5 km Rectilinear Bench (0.7 m high)
terrace1.5 km rectilinear bench 0.7 m high under montane canopy, Pantiacolla sandstone
12.7455° S · 71.3855° WCircular Depression (10 m dia.)
depression10 m circular depressions 1.5 m deep under palm litter, two pits
12.7445° S · 71.3845° WTrapezoidal Niche Boulder (2 m)
boulder2 m boulder with trapezoidal niche-like scar 0.8 m exfoliation, no dressing
12.7450° S · 71.3860° W