Pampa de Majes Geoglyphs
Majes Valley Lines
Middle Horizon to Late Intermediate Wari-Chuquibamba·Wari-influenced Majes valley·🇵🇪 Arequipa Region, Caylloma/Castilla, Peru
About
About Pampa de Majes Geoglyphs
Broad swath geoglyphs on Pampa de Majes between Siguas and Majes rivers: 35+ rectilinear and curvilinear cleared bands 2-5 m wide and up to 600 m long, plus inset zoomorphs (fox 18 m, condor 12 m). Unlike Nazca's narrow lines, Majes bands are 5-m highway-like trapezoids converging on hilltop cairn huacas. Ceramics associate them with Wari-Tiwanaku Middle Horizon (600-900 CE) and Chuquibamba Late Intermediate reuse; OSL on cleared margins dates exposed gravel to 780 +/- 80 CE. The ensemble is bisected by modern Majes-Siguas irrigation canal which cut three bands in 1982 before protection.
Why it mattersMajes broad trapezoid tradition contrasts Nazca narrow lines, revealing regional Middle Horizon variability.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Why broad highways vs narrow Nazca lines
Theories
- 01Pilgrimage route to Majes river huaca
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.600-1200 CE
- Period
- Middle Horizon to Late Intermediate Wari-Chuquibamba
- Culture
- Wari-influenced Majes valley
- Builders
- Majes agro-pastoral communities
- Purpose
- Cairn huaca processional highways
- Abandoned
- c.1300 CE
- Rediscovered
- 1988 Maximo Neira; 2015 rescue survey
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
600 CE
Wari-associated trapezoid clearing
780 CE
OSL date on band margin
2015
Rescue survey after canal bisect
On the ground
Structures & features
16.3200° S · 72.1800° W · 1420 m · 2 mapped features
Trapezoid Band A
geoglyph600-m x 5-m highway converging on hilltop cairn
16.3180° S · 72.1780° WFox Zoomorph
geoglyph18-m fox on band margin
16.3220° S · 72.1820° W