Salar del Sur West Fan Geoglyphs (Western Alluvial Bajada)
Sur Poniente Geoglyphs · Western Sur Bajada Lines
Late Intermediate (Atacameño 700–1300 CE)·Atacameño (Likan Antai) Sierra Gorda–Calama caravan·🇨🇱 Antofagasta Region, El Loa Province, Salar del Sur Western Bajada (Sierra Gorda–Calama piedmont), Chile
About
About Salar del Sur West Fan Geoglyphs (Western Alluvial Bajada)
Western alluvial bajada (2,320 m) descending to Salar del Sur playa, El Loa piedmont 34 km east of Sierra Gorda. 2 m wide) pointing west to coastal route via Sierra Gorda, and 7 m disc-circle with central upright huanca stone. Additive 10–20 cm andesite cobble + cleared caliche. Bajada figures are the highest-contrast in Sur cluster due to dark andesite varnish vs white caliche — visible 3 km at noon shadow. Associated with Sierra Gorda copper caravan debris (Chuquicamata malachite nodules) and Atacameño bow-arrow caches.
Radiocarbon 890±40 CE on circle huanca pit charcoal. Corridor aligns to winter solstice sunset over Sierra Gorda crest — westward return signaling to coast.
Why it mattersWesternmost Sur bajada marker completing Sur east–west avenue system toward Sierra Gorda coast link.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Triangular head vs rhomb head cultural boundary
Theories
- 01Winter solstice westward return signaling for copper caravan seasonal schedule
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.700 – 1300 CE
- Period
- Late Intermediate (Atacameño 700–1300 CE)
- Culture
- Atacameño (Likan Antai) Sierra Gorda–Calama caravan
- Builders
- Sur bajada Atacameño copper caravaneers
- Purpose
- Westward coast-return corridor marker on Sur bajada to Sierra Gorda–Loa route
- Abandoned
- c.1450 CE (Inca road)
- Rediscovered
- 2017 Sur bajada drone survey; 2022 winter solstice alignment measured
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
700 CE
Earliest anthropomorph
890 CE
Circle huanca C14 890±40
2017
Drone maps 19 figures west fan
On the ground
Structures & features
23.4800° S · 68.9200° W · 2320 m · 3 mapped features
West Bajada Triangular-Head Anthropomorphs
geoglyph13–27 m triangular-head figures on andesite bajada
23.4790° S · 68.9190° WWest Arrow Corridor (58 m)
earthwork58-m converging double-wall arrow pointing west to Sierra Gorda
23.4820° S · 68.9220° WDisc-Circle with Huanca (7 m)
geoglyph7 m disc-circle with central 1.2 m upright huanca, malachite pit
23.4810° S · 68.9210° W