Polish-Italian team of scientists working across Peru and Bolivia

Archaeologists from Poland and Italy are working together on numerous sites scattered across South America, in order to preserve and restore them and also to unravel their ancient mysteries. These sites include the geoglyphs at Nazca Desert, Inca sites in the Machu Picchu area in Peru, and the sites of Tiwanaku and Samaipata in Bolivia.

Polish-Italian excavations in Tiwanaku, Bolivia (by Mariusz Ziółkowski)
Polish-Italian excavations in Tiwanaku, Bolivia (by Mariusz Ziółkowski)

According to the head of The Centre for Pre-Columbian Studies of University of Warsaw, Mariusz Ziółkowski, the co-operation of Polish and Italian archaeologists date back to the 19th century. More recently, Polish archaeologists were involved in the study of Nazca Lines, conducted by the Italians since 80s of the 20th century. The researchers are now planning to use the latest teledetection techniques in order to study the sequence of geoglyphs at the Nazca Desert in Peru. The researchers will also try to determine whether the creators of the Nazca Lines were aligning the geoglyps with celestial bodies, significant in Pre-Columbian belief systems.

Main pyramid in Cahuachi after restoration works (by Giuseppe Orefici)
Main pyramid in Cahuachi after restoration works (by Giuseppe Orefici)

Polish archaeologists area also going to aid the Italian team in excavations of sites within the Machu Picchu region, including two religious centres and underwater research of the mountain lakes. Another project will be held at Samaipata in Bolivia, in order to document and study the carved rock feature at El Fuerte de Samaipata or Fort Samaipata site. They are going to apply 3D laser scanning, photogrammetry, multi-spectral photography and UAVs (drones). These new technologies will enable to recognise new, hardly visible engravings on the rock and distinguish different phases of their creation. Further research will be conducted in Tiwanaku or Tiahuanaco, near Lake Titicaca in Bolivia at the vast spiritual and political centre of the Pre-Columbian Tiwanaku Empire, which existed between 300–1150 AD.

(after Nauka w Polsce, Giuseppe Orefici & Mariusz Ziółkowski)

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