Calartoco in northern Chile is a heavily disturbed rock art site, because it was crossed by several types of infrastructure. This paper offers a limited view of some of the petroglyph boulders that have been “rescued” near the original, destroyed site.
By Maarten van Hoek
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The Rock Art Site of Calartoco
Victim of Infrastructure
Maarten van Hoek
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Introduction
Unfortunately it often happens that economic interests are the cause of the destruction of archaeological sites, thus also including rock art sites. Examples are for instance mining activities, like the quarrying of stone at the rock art site of Rosario in the extreme north of Chile; at El Vagón in Moche (Van Hoek 2024a), Cerro San Simon in Jequetepeque, and at Huaca Blanca in Reque (Van Hoek 2021a) all three in northern Peru. Also the construction of modern roads and railroads has often violated, damaged and even destroyed several Sacred Rock Art Sites. Examples are the road at (again) Huaca Blanca in the Reque Valley of northern Peru (Van Hoek 2021a), Alto de Pitis in the Majes Valley and Miculla in the extreme south of Peru (Van Hoek 2024b). Alas, there are many more instances.
This paper briefly describes and illustrates the sad situation at Calartoco in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile, a site which was probably first violated by road construction, possibly later damaged by the construction of a railway, and finally destroyed (further?) by the construction of the Pan-Americana-Sur. I have no information when all this happened and what activity in fact destroyed Calartoco, but it is a sad fact that some-one decided to construct infrastructure through the rock art site of Calartoco. It is a small comfort that (fortunately) some-one also decided to salvage at least the rock art boulders. But the sacred character and the integrity of the site are lost for ever.
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Calartoco Nowadays
When driving along the coastal Pan-American Highway from Iquique to Antofagasta one will at some point cross a bridge spanning the deep gorge of the Río Loa. Only a short distance further south the driver will (possibly) notice a large sign to the left signalling the presence of several archaeological sites, including the Petroglyphs of Calartoco and the Geoglyphs of La Encañada (see the cover photo and Figure 16). The sign has been erected immediately east of a large enclosure of low stone walls, in which several boulders with petroglyphs have artificially been arranged in two parallel rows (see Figure 3).
Calartoco is found approximately 66 km inland (due east of the Pacific Ocean) and only 685 m SW of the (at that point) NNW running Río Loa, with its narrow valley floor at about 890 m O.D. (Figures 1 and 2). However, from the enclosure and from the original location of the site, views of the Loa Gorge are blocked by a low ridge (which is visible in Figure 3) The original site probably was located just west of the Pan-Americana, where nowadays a small boulder field is still found (see the cover photo). This boulder field was superficially checked by us, but no further petroglyphs were noticed. The recently constructed rectangular enclosure (see Figure 2) is found at 953 m O.D. and measures 40 by 20 meters. In this study only the petroglyphs are of interest, because it is impossible to offer a reconstruction of the original position and orientation of the boulders.
Figure 1. Map showing the location of Calartoco, northern Chile. Map © by Maarten van Hoek and © by OpenStreetMap – Contributors.
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Figure 2. Detail maps showing the location of the enclosure in which the Calartoco petroglyph boulders have been “salvaged”, and of one of the geoglyph sites, northern Chile. Maps © by Maarten van Hoek, based on Google Earth.
About 420 m to the WNW and roughly at 970 m O.D. is a group of geoglyphs that is visible from the enclosure. Invisible from Calartoco’s enclosure is a larger group of geoglyphs called La Encañada (see the cover photo and Figure 16), which is located at about 995 m O.D., roughly1480 m to the SSE. Other geoglyphs are found 15 km to the NW of Calartoco (including two [?] images of rafters; see Figure 17), while some 65 km to the SE is the enormous complex of geoglyphs of Chug Chug (also including a rafter), all probably associated with the Río Loa.
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The Petroglyphs
A minimum of 16 decorated boulders at Calartoco were re-located east of the Pan-American, enclosed by a low stone wall. All boulders are rather small or medium sized. Because of the limited time we could only photograph the panels that “clearly” showed up. Unfavourably reflecting and blinding sunlight together with deep, dark shadows made it impossible to see all images (clearly). Moreover, most boulders have a rather irregular surface and often have more than one panel. For that reason only the better visible panels will be illustrated here, and thus this study does not pretend to offer a complete inventory. It also proved that several markings could not be identified and therefore only the better recognisable images will be mentioned and illustrated here, just to give an impression of the petroglyphs. All images have been superficially pecked onto the rather hard type of stone, and – because being exposed to intense sunlight and strong, eroding winds – many petroglyphs have weathered considerably. Unfortunately, being located so near the Pan-Americana and being well signposted, some panels have suffered from vandalism. Finally, all photos in this study have digitally been enhanced by me in order to make the petroglyphs better visible, and my drawings are possibly inaccurate.
Figure 3. The enclosure at Calartoco. Photograph © by Maarten van Hoek.
Because of lack of a complete survey, not all petroglyph boulders will be discussed here. Only the most interesting images will be illustrated and briefly discussed here in random order. Not having numbered the petroglyph boulders, this review offers Figure numbers and a description of the images. Because of the limited time I cannot offer any scales, but most anthropomorphic figures are rather small, ranging between 10 and 35 cm (estimated!).
Figure 4. One of the best known petroglyphs at Calartoco (found on Boulder 1 in Figure 3) is the small archer (#1 in Figure 4). It is fully pecked and has three appendages from the head. On the panel are also a very faint, fully pecked and frontally depicted anthropomorphic figure with outstretched arms (#2 in Figure 4), as well as three very poorly drawn figures that could have been intended as quadrupeds (#3, 4 and 5 in Figure 4). Photographs © by Maarten van Hoek.
Figure 5. Another well-known petroglyph at Calartoco is the small rafter on Panel A. It is shown in profile, standing on the simply depicted raft (which is typical for the area), most likely holding a harpoon. On Panel B are some wandering pecked grooves and a possible anthropomorphic figure (again fully frontally depicted and fully pecked). One side panel (in the shade) might also bear petroglyphs. Photographs © by Maarten van Hoek.
Figure 6. Also interesting are petroglyphs on this boulder. Panel A has an open, pecked circle (perhaps a second one adjacent) and several short and longer pecked grooves (straight and wandering). Panel B has two conspicuous sets of rectangular double-spirals (partially flaked off; due to transport?), one of which seems to have been transformed into a camelid (by adding a neck and small head; see the arrow in Figure 6B; estimated heigh about 15 to 20 cm). It may have been intended to change two more spirals into camelids as well. Panel C (opposite Panel A, and not shown here) has two pecked ring-marks and a short zigzag groove. Photographs © by Maarten van Hoek.
Figure 7. This panel shows a collection of at least five fully pecked and laterally depicted quadrupeds (possibly three camelids and two dogs?). The three camelids are recognisable by their flexed tail (discussed further on). One camelid is associated with two anthropomorphic figures, one holding the animal on leash (?). Another figure seems to be standing on a camelid. There are five images that are hard to define (one biomorphic petroglyph [a male anthropomorph?] seems to hold two linear objects). Photograph © by Maarten van Hoek.
Figure 8. Boulder with a nested zigzag (#8; a snake?) and at least seven possible biomorphic petroglyphs, all fully pecked (#1 to #7). Petroglyphs #2 and #3 are most likely anthropomorphs that have been depicted fully frontally with outstretched arms and drooping lower arms. Petroglyphs #1, #4 and #5 are possibly unfinished anthropomorphs (#5 still mainly outlined; being arm-less may have been intended!). On another panel are at least a pecked ring-mark and one short groove. Photographs © by Maarten van Hoek.
Figure 9. Panel A has a rather distinct ring-mark with central dot; an unfinished ring-mark; an almost invisible ring-mark; a very crudely executed small quadruped (a dog or a fox?) and some pecked grooves. Panel B (in the shade) is more interesting. It has a fully pecked biomorphic image (inset B1) that seems to be lying on its back, while on its belly might be standing a quadruped (a most uncertain interpretation). To its right is a rather large anthropomorphic figure (estimated to be about 30 cm in height) with an outlined body that is shaped more or less like an hour-glass (detail B2). Its head is fully pecked and from the top of the head emerge four slightly splayed lines representing a headgear. One of the arms seems to hold a diagonally arranged linear object. Its feet are clearly marked. Photographs © by Maarten van Hoek.
Figure 10. This panel has only two petroglyphs, both (very) crudely executed. One image (#2) is a square with a central dot (it might be an unfinished anthropomorph); the other (#1) most likely was supposed to depict a quadruped looking to the right (a dog?), although the bulbous projection on the back might represent the head of an (unfinished) anthropomorph. Photograph © by Maarten van Hoek.
Figure 11. This panel was hard to inspect, being in the shade. Therefore, to better showing the complicated patterns I present my drawing next to the photo. Dominant is a composition of three vertical lines, crossed by a horizontal bar. It seems that one upper part terminates in what looks like an animal (camelid?) head, showing two ears. The left part is somewhat different, but may still be an animal head as well. I would like to very cautiously suggest that the horizontal bar may indicate that two llamas had their necks cut in a scarifying ritual (common in the Andes; similar “cutting lines” are found at Toro Muerto, southern Peru).
To the right of this pattern are three grooves, one of which is a simple spiral. To the left are two small quadrupeds, one with an outlined, circular head and another with seemingly a wing-like extension from its back. Further to the right are some pecked areas (not shown in my drawing), a long zigzag with two curved extensions and a roughly pecked area of what may represent a fully pecked frontally depicted anthropomorph. On the panel to the right (not clearly visible in Figure11) is a line of two joined, vertically arranged ovals (enclosed by an unfinished rectangle?). On the top panel are at least two adjacent ring-marks (not visible in the photo of Figure 11). Photograph and (possibly inaccurate) drawing © by Maarten van Hoek.
Figure 12. Vertical side-panel with several pecked areas, of which #1 may depict a bird (with possibly an [unfinished?] second bird to its right), while further to the right is a possible anthropomorphic figure (#2) with a linear object in its hand (above which may be a ring-mark). Photograph © by Maarten van Hoek.
Figure 13. Wandering groove, looking much like an incomplete or an unfinished, yet irregular stepped cross pattern that is rather common in this area. It is for instance found at the petroglyph site of Tarapacá, some 200 km further NNE (Van Hoek 2001), but also in geoglyph sites. Further to the right (not shown in the photo) is a simple, outlined equal-armed cross. Photograph and (possibly inaccurate) drawing © by Maarten van Hoek.
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Observations
Although petroglyphs of ring-marks (with or without a central dot) seem to pre-dominate the array of rock art images (Figure 14), Calartoco has also some distinguishing petroglyphs, like the archer and the rafter. The latter image is definitely ocean-related and rafters have been recorded at many other rock art sites in the Desert Andes, not only at coastal sites, but also far inland, far from navigable waters (Van Hoek 2020). It must be noted however that I refute the often (incorrectly) accepted idea that geoglyphs are a form of rock art. Notwithstanding, geoglyphs often include the same imagery as petroglyphs, and thus it is no surprise that also rafters have occasionally been recorded at the nearby geoglyph sites, for instance the three examples at Chug Chug. However, geoglyphs of archers are unknown to me (as far as I know), although petroglyphs of archers are more common. The unfinished anthropomorphic figure #5 in Figure 8 may well have been drawn intentionally without arms, since several geoglyphs feature similar situations. Finally, also “hour-glass” anthropomorphs, stepped patterns, outlined crosses and ring-marks occur at several geoglyph sites in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.
Figure 14. Circular petroglyphs at Calartoco. Photographs © by Maarten van Hoek.
One panel at Calartoco showed camelids with a typical flexed tail (Figure 15A). Surprisingly, this type of tail occasionally is found at other sites, like Miculla in southern Peru, 432 km north of Calartoco (Figure 15B) and further north at Coropuro in the Sama Valley of southern Peru (Van Hoek 2021b), 477 km north of Calartoco (Figure 15C).
Figure 15. Examples of camelids with flexed tail. A: Calartoco; B: Miculla; C: Coropuro. Photographs A and B © by Maarten van Hoek; photograph C: © by Richard Ochoa Peña of SACRUN SAC (Arequipa).
Of course this study I not complete, because several panels that I have seen, have not been discussed here (like a panel with a zigzag, an unfinished rectangle and a large ring-mark), while some other panels recorded at Calartoco have not been noticed by us. For instance, there may be a panel featuring a lizard-like petroglyph, while another panel features an anthropomorphic figure holding a row (caravan?) of two camelids on leash, possibly preceded by a dog). But I am sure that this study gives a fairly correct impression of what Calartoco has to offer, despite the fact that the original site has been violated and destroyed forever. I hope that this study will also be a warning sign and – optimistically – further destruction of Sacred rock art sites will be avoided in the future.
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Appendix – Geoglyphs near Calartoco
Figure 16. Geoglyphs at La Encañada. Satellite-photo by Google Earth.
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Figure 17. Geoglyphs of two (?) rafters, as well as some stepped patterns. This site is located about 15 km to the NW of Calartoco. Satellite-photo by Google Earth.
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Acknowledgements
The author is much indebted to archaeologist Richard Ochoa Peña, gerente general of SACRUN-SAC (Arequipa, Perú) for his kind permission to use his photographs, one of which (Figure 15C) has been included into this study. However, the content of this study is completely my responsibility. I am also grateful to my wife Elles for her assistance when surveying the rock art site of Calartoco (and many more sites in the Desert Andes) and for her ongoing support at home.
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References
Van Hoek, M. 2001. The stepped diamond in Andean rock art. Rock Art Research. Vol. 18-2; pp. 96 – 100. Melbourne, Australia.
Van Hoek, M. 2020. The Book of Boats. Watercraft in Desert Andes Rock Art. Oisterwijk, Holland.
Van Hoek, M. 2021a. Updating the Rock Art near Huaca Blanca. Lambayeque, Peru. In: TRACCE – Online Rock Art Bulletin, Italy.
Van Hoek, M. 2021b. Petroglyphs and a New Geoglyph in the Sama Valley – Tacna, Peru. In: TRACCE – Online Rock Art Bulletin, Italy.
Van Hoek, M. 2024a. El Vagón Violated. Ongoing Destruction of Rock Art Sites in Peru. In: TRACCE – Online Rock Art Bulletin, Italy.
Van Hoek, M. 2024b. The Petrified People of Miculla – Rock Art of the Northern Atacama Desert. Oisterwijk – Holland. Book available as PDF at Academia.
