Marcahuasi (said in Spanish as [maɾkaˈwasi]) is a plateau in the Andes Mountains, found 60 km east of Lima, on the mountain range that is on the right side of the Rímac River. The site is at 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) above sea level and is known for its strange shapes that look like human faces and animals in granite rocks.

Research

The location was first studied by Julio Tello in 1922. Later, during the 1950s, Daniel Ruzo examined the area. In a region covering about 3 kilometers, hundreds of unusual shapes were discovered. These shapes are believed to be natural formations. The site is situated at an elevation of approximately 12,500 feet (3,800 meters) in the Andes Mountains.

Features

The plateau was formed by a volcanic event. It covers an area of about 4 square kilometers (1 + 1⁄2 square miles) and is located at an elevation of nearly 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) in the Huarochirí Province, east of Lima, Peru. Marcahuasi is known for a group of large granite rocks that have unusual shapes resembling human faces, animals, and religious symbols. Scientists have several ideas about how these shapes formed, including the belief that erosion over time created them naturally. Some people suggest the shapes were made by ancient humans, but archaeologists explain that erosion over centuries is the cause. There are also small pre-Columbian structures on the plateau, which were used as tombs for ancient people. Some of these tombs have been damaged or stolen.

On the north side of the plateau, there is a collection of ruins. More than 50 structures remain, but they are in different stages of decay. The doorways are very small, often only three feet high. Most buildings are narrow because ancient builders did not use arches, so they had to cover openings with rocks that may have been taken from nearby areas. There are also what look like burial tombs near the edge of the settlement.