Marcahuasi

The thumbnails below are all of landscape features from the plane of Marcahuasi, whose significance was discovered by Daniel Ruzo in 1952 (his interpretation was unknown when the pictures in the Peru sculptures gallery were published). He describes a large number of image interpretations that seem the result of natural formations enhanced by alleged artificial adaptation to get the observed result. As suggested here independently, he finds that the appearance of the image greatly depends on the angle of view and the lighting, i.e. the time of the day. To illustrate this, of some of the features many versions are shown. The first (and most used) one is named "The Monument to Humanity" by Dr. Ruzo, because it purportedly shows images of the faces of major human races. This depends greatly on the lighting, and the first example, in comparison with the ones in the Peru Specials gallery, shows this clearly; more examples of the Monument are given in a separate gallery (to come); click on the thumbnails for enlargements.

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Analysis

After seeing some pictures mentioned to be from Marcahuasi and the name of Dr. Ruzo on a travelling site (hosted by Alan Matthews), an internet search by the author turned up hits mostly from the esoteric and travelling scene, from which the pictures above are taken. In contrast to other puzzling finds, like the Dendera hieroglyphs and the Ica stones, no skeptical analysis has yet been found. Possibly this is due to the fact that unlike the Ica stones, the possibility of forgery is negligible. And the weak point of the Dendera case, its singular nature, is not present either: the number of possible images in Marcahuasi case is in the dozens anyway, and probably in the hundreds. Where each individual case might be disputed, this becomes increasingly difficult with the rising number, especially since the stylistic similarities between them are considerable.

So the only weak point to the claim that the Marcahuasi images are real and objective is the fact that some effort at visualization has to be made. However, once the mind has set to the required mode, there seems little variance in the way different people interpret the images. The author came to a conclusion identical to Dr. Ruzo's, completely independently, and on the basis of only a few pictures that turned out to be from Marcahuasi, most of them coming from more familiar sites in Peru, and without any mention of possible images, except from the single and widely known one of Viracocha at Ollantaytambo. The only remarkable thing about the latter is that it is the only one that is really obvious from many viewpoints and under most lighting situations.

So the overall conclusion here is that the Marcahuasi images are a proven phenomenon, until evidence of the contrary turns up (a probability between 80% and 95%, at least).

The remarkable feature of the Marcahuasi case is its relative obscurity (see here). Whereas sites as Machu Picchu and Sacsayhuaman are well-known generally, Maracahuasi certainly is not. From the point of view of the general public, this is more or less understandable, since these images are less obvious than buildings. However, from the view of archaeology, the site of Marcuahuasi is at least as interesting, and probably even more, because it is highly likely that the culture that made the images predates any of the familiar South American ones.

For those specifically interested in similar images, see the Peru sculptures gallery, the Yonaguni sculptures gallery, and the Cat Island gallery. To follow the line of investigation of this site, go to the Machu Picchu sculptures gallery.