From Wiki Sumaq Peru

The Archaeological complex known as the Grand Pajaten, is an archeological beauty surrounded by legends and a reality that very few have been fortunate enough to visit and learn. This site, known as the Grand Pajaten by the American explorer Gene Savoy, has been included within the modern myth and legend as a mystical and magical place. It has also been associated with a lost city in the jungle, the myth of El Dorado, the city of gold hidden in the depths of the Amazon, that will turn rich the one who find it.

The Grand Pajaten is a city in the Chachapoya civilization, and an enigma from the past because of the lack of archaeological studies to understand it.

Contents 1 History 2 Location 3 Architecture 4 Access 5 References

History

The archeological site was discovered by Carlos Tomas Torrealva Juarez, mayor of the district of Pataz, in La Libertad region, in September 1964. He found the complex while guiding a group of neighbors who traveled the area in search of sites suitable for the development of agriculture.

Once found it was assumed that belonged to the Chachapoyas Civilization (1200-1500 AD), which built the circular stone buildings that demonstrate a thorough knowledge of engineering and art on rock.

Already in 1965, the architect Victor Pimentel Gurmendi did a recognition visit accompanied by the archaeologist Duccio Bonavia, who did the first study on Pajaten. the architect Wolfgang Wurster was also participating, and is the author of a Travelogue with valuable archaeological annotations.

In 1968 the archaeologist Duccio Bonavia described 18 circular buildings, with size ranging from 4 meters to 14 meters in diameter. Since the early 80's, an expedition led by archeologist Federico Kauffman Doig found in the vicinity of the ruins of Pajatén, a group of carved wood figurines of undoubtedly pre-Hispanic origin, which hung on the walls of a stone construction .

The remains founded have been studied intensively since 1985, and then aspects relating to early occupations in the sire have been recorded, as well as certain aspects of its foundation.

Beginning in 1986 the investigations are deepened with the objective to establish the sequence of their development and evolution. Some researchers as Duccio Bonavia and Federico Kauffman argue the thesis that The Great Pajatén was an late highland city for the agricultural colonization of the jungle. They based this assertion by the presence of pottery and Inca roads, as well as its administrative-ceremonial architecture. Furthermore, there is record that in several forest areas there are archaeological indications of Pre-inca occupations, such as tombs, stones, remnants of ceramics, etc., But it is certainly very difficult to relate to certain nations of Tahuantinsuyo.

Location

The ruins of Grand Pajaten are located at the confluence of two rivers, and in the rugged eastern flanks of the Andes mountain range. The site is located 2850 meters, and includes a set of buildings displaying their stairs oriented north-west. The geographical coordinates of the plateau are: 77° 17' west longitude and 07° 45' south latitude. Politically the archaeological center belongs to Huicungo district in the province of Mariscal Caceres, the region of San Martin in northern Peru. This area is in full highland jungle and on a narrow and uneven plateau and the complex was found covered by dense rainforest.

For the dificult direct access to the area, the city of Trujillo, capital of the region La Libertad, is taken as a reference and starting point, it is 400km far from the the National Park Rio Abiseo in an easterly direction. Moreover, it is the city that provides better access to the Great Pajaten; that is why almost all the expeditions to the Grand Pajaten start from this city.

Architecture

In 1968, archaeologist Duccio Bonavía described 18 circular buildings built in stone on platforms compensated the rugged terrain on which the city is located. The complex has stairs that connect the different levels, facilitating the movement of persons by the various sectors of the entire settlement. What particularly distinguishes the whole Pajaten are circular towers, with diameters varying between 2 and 15m. In a particular way, the buildings, which are extruded each different level from the others, spread over an area of one hectare being very close to each other.

All the architectural complex shows mixed streets and platforms where the circular buildings are located. One of the monuments that stresses mostly is the Building 1. This is 13 meters in diameter and is separated into two sections by a cornice. The lower section is the platform which the top section was built on. A stairway leads from a place covered with slate stone to the entrance at the top. This entry has some stone friezes flat panels showing five human figures with knees bent outward and arms bent. Each of these figures has a head with two different styles which alternate between figure and figure. The top is decorated with a phased greca lined with zig-zag lines. This type of design is characteristic of Chachapoyas architecture.

The excavations conducted found that the upper floors are slightly damaged as a result of the removal and cleaning work carried out by a civic military expedition, which had in mind quickly open it to the tourism without making research work. The upper body of the buildings presents decorations with geometric patterns in high relief while those below are decorated with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic representations. Its buildings, the ornamental motifs, human heads and wings of condor seem to send a warrior message, making the visitor to think in ritual ceremonies like funerals.

In recent excavations, a row of stones that make up a road was located, in here they have found stone slabs of slate and located a stone wall edged whose dimensions are 58 x 18 x 12 and show a slight tilt toward the side east. There have been 28 fragments of bones, a human vertebra and a right upper jaw. Also on the hillsides there are terraces, as well as a large embankment in the southwest; the buildings, covered by thick vegetation, descended on the flanks of the plateau to the area of Las Palmas.

Access

Type	Way	Distance	Time
Ground	By Air	Trujillo – Chagual	50 min
By river	Taxi	Chagual – Piaz 40 km.	3 hours
Ground	Horse	Piaz – Chigualen 40 Km.	4 hours
Ground	Horse	Chigualena Gate of the Hill 45 km.	2 days
Ground	By foot	Gate of the hill to the ruins 30 km.	1 day and a half

References

Ciberdocencia.gob (Spanish)
Unfv.edu (Spanish)
Educared.edu (Spanish)
Unitru.edu (Spanish)
Tarapoto.com (Spanish)
Regionsanmartin.gob (Spanish)

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