/Nexus - 1905 - New Times Magazine/pages/0063/image.png)
Page Content (OCR)
polishing techniques, natural degradation, lava flows and many other odd explanations. The analysis below eliminates some of these ideas. The vitrified stones of Peru were first brought to popular attention by Erich von Daniken in the late 1960s. He saw the vitrification at Sacsayhuamén, near Cusco, and noted it in his book Chariots of the Gods? (1968). Peruvian researcher Alfredo Gamarra identified this vitrification even earlier. The task of identifying and cataloguing these intriguing stones has been carried on by Alfredo's son, Jesis Gamarra, and Jan Peter de Jong. . -ao-_» The sites mentioned are commonly In Sacsayhuaman, near Cusco, Peru, there are many indications of referred to as Inca vestiges, but according to the use of heat. Strange marks on the stones, like the one above, can Alfredo and Jestis Gamarra the various styles be found—shiny, completely smooth and with another colour to the jndicate that the fine stonework is much rest of the rock. older than the relatively cruder work. As A further example has been found in Ucker Lake, in such, it probably was made by a "more skilled previous Brandenburg, where the walls are formed of burnt and culture”. smelted bricks. Displays have also been found in several Vitrification appears on different kinds of stones and places in France, such as Chateauvieux, Péran, La _ structures. It is found on the perfectly fitted walls with Courbe, Sainte-Suzanne, Puy de Gaudy and Thauron. irregular blocks. It is also observed on walls made with There are some forts that have been placed on regular oblong blocks. It has been spotted on practically infusible rock. In Scotland, the quartz mountainsides, in caves and on rocks in situ. The conglomerates of the Old Red Sandstone at Craig location arrangements vary as well. Some sites are Phadraig and on the limestone of Dun Mac Uisneachain — surrounded or overbuilt by walls, while others have are good cases. Here, pieces of fusible rocks were _ single, exposed, isolated stones. There seems to have selected and carried to the top from a considerable been some very adaptable ancient technology at work. Aintanan Thin dawns tentan that tha ant ale A further example has been found in Ucker Lake, in Brandenburg, where the walls are formed of burnt and smelted bricks. Displays have also been found in several places in France, such as Chateauvieux, Péran, La Courbe, Sainte-Suzanne, Puy de Gaudy and Thauron. There are some forts that have been placed on practically infusible rock. In Scotland, the quartz conglomerates of the Old Red Sandstone at Craig Phadraig and on the limestone of Dun Mac Uisneachain are good cases. Here, pieces of fusible rocks were selected and carried to the top from a considerable distance. This demonstrates that the act of vitrification was deliberate. Many more examples have been discovered in Malta, Egypt, Iraq, Sudan, Southeast Asia and other places that are speculated to fall into the grouping. However, these have not all been subjected to scientific testing like the European cases. They simply appear to be glazed finishes on equally large objects or on walls that would have been impossible to fire conventionally. In many cases, it looks as if there has been the deliberate action of a great heat. Vestiges in Peru and Bolivia There has been much discussion about the Incan vestiges in the Peruvian Andes of South America. It mostly revolves around whether the stones are vitrified or not. In these cases, vitrification appears to be present on different kinds of stones and seems to have been caused by deliberate action. This article will now concentrate on these cases where there are indications of heat treatment. The vitrified examples under study for this paper come primarily from famous Peruvian sites considered to belong to the Incas. To the authors’ knowledge, there have been no scientific tests conducted on these stones. This has left the debate open to claims of unusual Archaeologists assume that the perfectly fitted stones, as seen in Cusco, portray the most developed style of the Incas. Regardless, there is no explanation for the shiny surfaces that can be observed. These often appear on the borders where the stones join perfectly. There has been nothing done, other than simple geological analysis of these stones, to determine what the phenomenon is. No chemical analysis is known to have been executed. It is normally assumed that these parts were simply polished by the Incas. 60 * NEXUS AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2012 www.nexusmagazine.com