El complejo arqueológico de Sechín, cerca de Casma, Perú, contiene una de las colecciones más grandes de monolitos grabados de la Edad de Piedra (3,800 años) en el Nuevo Mundo. La colección registra las experiencias de la cultura guerrera de Sechín, en un milenario e impresionante desafío al tiempo. Los monolitos, más de 324, los cuales pueden ser admirados hasta estos días, son un tributo a la habilidad artística y curioso sentido de la inmortalidad de los antiguos habitantes de Sechín. En Sechín el tiempo transcurrió, pero no fue notado.
The archaeological complex of Sechin, near Casma, Peru, features one of the largest and best preserved collections of engraved Stone Age monoliths (3,800 years old) in the New World. The collection registers the experiences of the warrior Sechin culture, in a most impressive and truly ageless story-telling feat. The monoliths, numbering more than 324, most of which can be admired to this day, are a tribute to the artistic skills and curious sense of inmortality of the ancient peoples of Sechin. In Sechin time went by, but it was not noticed.
Long. 78o 15' 32" W
Lat. 9o 28' 50" S
5555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555
Good morning, I am Victor Lopez,
researcher of Casma's history and tour guide.
We are in Sechin,
an ancient archaeological site
4000 years old
located 5 km southeast of Casma.
In turn, Casma is on the central coast
of the department of Ancash,
378 km north of Lima.
77777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777
In this monument we can observe ***
a great number of engraved rocks
dating to 4000 years ago
belonging to the Sechin culture
The monument has several phases or parts.
Seven parts can be identified.
Two are located in the central area
In the central area there is a mud edifice,
and in the exterior area,
where we are now,
there is a rock edifice.
This rock edifice was discovered ***
on July 1, 1937
by the renowned Peruvian archaeologist
Dr. Julio C. Tello
Tello came to Casma
on his way to the Marañon region
to continue his research
on the Chavin culture.
While in Casma, he inquired about a site
where engraved stones could be found.
Mr. Hernan Reyna told Tello
he had one near his home,
and he showed Tello
the figure of a head engraved in stone.
Tello recognized the influence of Chavin culture.
He asked to go to the site.
A peasant named Victor Dueñas
brought Tello to this site,
which was known at the time as
the "Huaca of the Brave Indian"
In this site, this monolith ***
was buried up to this height ***
The remaining rocks had fallen
and the building was half buried;
all this was half buried.
so, this is why this monolith
came to be called the Huaca of the Brave Indian.
Tello was so enthusiastic about Sechin,
that he changed his plans,
cancelled his trip to Marañon,
and remained in Casma for three months.
During those three months,
he worked on several sites.
Here he excavated all of this wall ***
and was able to find the majority
of the engraved rocks of this frontispiece.
He lifted the rocks
and put them more or less in their place.
From 1937, to the present, time passed,
until Arturo Jimenez Borja
became interested in this site.
88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Here we have two outstanding monoliths ***
two warriors with weapons and helmets, ***
painted faces, ***
appropriately dressed for war,
marching *** toward the building's center.
This march starts from the backdoor.
From there come two warriors
marching toward the center.
This is the triumphant march of the warriors.
Between the triumphant marching warriors
are shown human remains,
a decapited head with blood spilling ***
and here we see blood drops at the end ***
and the hair, which point to the other side***
Below is another decapitated head without eyes, ***
and blood spilling from the eyes.
Here is another decapitated head.
Here is a main character ***
belonging to the vanquished warriors.
He is shown without legs ***
We continue to observe decapitated heads.
The majority of these decapitated heads
are without eyes ***
Here we find a chain of eyes, ***
cut arms, ***
and more decapitated heads.
Again we find the principal warrior
marching toward the central gate,
then we find a pile of human heads ***
and more decapitations ***
Here we have a monolith
showing the upper part of the head,
showing the brains. ***
Above this there is a severed child ***
and a schematic of the human spine ***
We advance to the principal warrior ***
this could be the great chief
or Lord of Sechin ***
This is clearly the chief ***
because he has a larger head dress ***
also, he has two trophy heads above ***
and two trophy heads below ***
Since there is symmetry in the building
everything on this side
is also contained on the other side
On the other side
we observe that there is an empty space
The one similar to this monolith does not exist
somebody took it
At the entrance to the building
we observe banners ***
they are seen clearly,
a post, a cord, with a knot at the bottom, ***
and the banners, one next to the other.
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
We are in front of a monolith ***
which the archaeologists have found in this area
and have placed it in here
it may not be standing in the correct place
it depicts a loin cloth
the Sechin people used this loin cloth
to cover themselves
On this side the figures repeat themselves ***
on this march towards the center
Here we have a head, in the top ***
showing the brains, ***
the pile of heads, ***
the warriors marching toward the center
the human spine,
the severed child, as on the other side
the chain of eyes, ***
much larger on this side
the vanquished warriors,
again cut off at waist level
and the decapitated heads
in different positions
and the principal warriors marching
toward the center of the building
another human spine
another monolith
similar to the other side
there is symmetry
here is a monolith similar to
the brave Indian of the other side
when we said we found
the monolith of the Brave Indian
this side is similar
On the other side we found an empty space
because there was no monolith
but here we find a similar monolith.
We could reconstruct this side
because we have the identical monolith
the only warrior that does not have a battle ax
is holding a strange weapon. ***
Archaologists still do not know what it is.
We will find it because the chiefs
are buried somewhere
and their weapons will be discovered.
10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10
We should mention that the number
of engraved monoliths is 326.
in the backwall there are uncovered monoliths
It is estimated that 60 of them remain covered
a total of more than 380 engraved monoliths
with the suprising age of almost 4000 years
This one is a very expressive head ***
where the eye has been removed ***
and it is spilling blood ***
this one shows a schematic
of a complete digestive system: ***
trachea, esophagus,
stomach, and intestines ***
a marvel of artistic design
one wonders how could they have performed
the engraving using rocks only,
there were no metals at the time
they had just developed ceramics,
we marvel at the antiquity of this site
and at the laborious way
in which they were able to express
their ideas on the rocks
11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11
We are here in a rounded corner of the building ***
this is a characteristic of these monuments
of the Archaic Period
at the dawn of civilization
The plan views were square
each side is 51 m in length,
with rounded curves
this wall is original
this wall is completely original ***
in the front wall
Tello lifted the fallen rocks
but this side was preserved intact because
the people who came later filled this side
with adobe and mud
they were able to preserve intact this side
they built the wall with small rocks and mud
even smaller, and then with mud
they were building the wall to the top
note that the floor is half a meter
below the current level
the original celing was much higher, ***
people who came in later made changes.
12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12
We are observing another section ***
of the Sechin monument. ***
We can observe all these monoliths
as we saw them on the other side.
Here we find the principal warrior ***
one of the principal warriors,
marching toward the center gate
and the other figures that are clearly seen
thanks to the sun projecting the shadows on the relief.
14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14
As in the other side,
this wall is also original. ***
Nobody has changed anything here
because it was protected by an earthen fill
this monument needs to be researched more
It is the same age as other monuments
that portray Casma's rich heritage
from the Sechin period,
we have Sechin Bajo,
Sechin Alto, Caucache,
Concan, in the Casma valley proper,
and in the neighboring valley
Mojeque, Pampa de Llamas, La Cantina,
and a monument belonging
to the Late Formative Age called Chankillo.
Chankillo is a large fortress on top of a hill
which defended a temple.
In the lower part it has a large calendar
considered the oldest solar calendar
in America.
⇒⇒⇒ On image of indio bravo
Sechín - Casma, Perú
324 monolitos grabados de la Edad de Piedra
Sechin - Casma, Peru
324 engraved Stone Age monoliths
⇒⇒⇒ On google map with animation, from Lima to Casma
Lima-Casma: 378 km
Lima-Sechin: 373 km
Casma-Sechin: 5 km
⇒⇒⇒ On trailing clip, showing the best of Sechin, one by one, and then, all together
Narración / Narrator: Víctor Manuel López
Texto / Text: Víctor M. Ponce
Música / Music: Fernando Vela
Edición / Editor: Flor Pérez
Imágenes / Images: Google Earth
Apoyo local / Local support: lasponcianashotel.com
Copyright © 2010
Visualab Productions
All rights reserved