Painted walls and fleshy limbs

Looting at a site near Eniminga, Huaura Valley. Left, you can appreciate adobe walls that are plastered and painted yellow. These are heavily disturbed by numerous pits dug with shovels. Their exposure will contribute to their rapid destruction.

Above, part of a human burial. The looting was relatively recent, since the bone still has flesh on it. There is a small piece of basketry mixed in, probably a grave good that accompanied this person.
Photos by Margaret Brown Vega, 2010.

Gravedigging

Colonial period burials at the site of Rontoy, Huaura Valley. Above, you can just make out what is left of wood from a coffin. The torn cloth is also much thicker and denser than prehispanic textiles. Right, scatter rib bones litter the ground. The clothing from the torn apart body has buttons on it. The style of the clothing suggests they belonged to a person of Chinese heritage, possibly a slave brought to the area.
Photos by Margaret Brown Vega, 2009.

Scattered parts

These human remains are from a heavily looted site on the flanks of Cerro San Cristobal, Huaura Valley. People living in the neighboring hamlet know that looters visit the site. While they are wary of outsiders, they do not stop the intruders. One woman indicated that as long as she gets her huaco (typically a decorated pot), she doesn't mind. While I was visiting the site she came out looking for me to be sure that I gave her a huaco. She was quite disappointed when I explained there would be no huacos.

Photos by Margaret Brown Vega, 2009.

Faces of Looting: The Victims

These photographs illustrate what is left of four individuals who used to live in or around Caleta Vidal in prehispanic times. Despite someone's efforts to put one person back together again, the damage cannot be undone or rectified. Photos by Margaret Brown Vega, 2010.

The Status of Acaray...

Once untouched areas of Acaray are now heavily damaged by looters. The top photo shows recent looter's holes in what appears to be midden (ancient trash, in other words). The pot in the photo was left behind, which indicates that items worth selling were indeed sacked and stolen.
The second photo, a detail of the abandoned pot, tells us why it was left behind. The small hole, the entry wound, was created by a barreta, a tool used to probe for voids in the ground. The looters punctured the vessel when probing the ground to look for a place to dig. You can see the exit wound, the larger section of the pot at its base that was blasted out by the barreta. Looters do not value these items. Those who buy looted items do not value these items. Looters, and those who traffic in antiquities, are committing not only crimes, but acts of violence. Photos by Margaret Brown Vega, 2009.

Mummified child's arm, looter's foot prints and urine

Mummified child's arm, looter's foot prints and urine, originally uploaded by Nathan Craig.

Looted human cranium

Looted human cranium, originally uploaded by Nathan Craig.

Note: Unfortunately, in order to upload this image from Peru, I had to downsize the photograph considerably.

Looted Late Intermediate Period lims and ceramics

Looted Late Intermediate Period lims and ceramics, originally uploaded by Nathan Craig.

Note: Unfortunately, in order to upload this image from Peru, I had to downsize the photograph considerably.

Looted burial of a mummified dog

Looted burial of a mummified dog, originally uploaded by Nathan Craig.

Note: Unfortunately, in order to upload this image from Peru, I had to downsize the photograph considerably.

Looted Late Intermediate Period cranium with copper staining and hair

Looted Late Intermediate Period cranium with copper staining and hair, originally uploaded by Nathan Craig.

Note: Unfortunately, in order to upload this image from Peru, I had to downsize the photograph considerably.

Looted human cranium and looter's cigaretts

Looted human cranium and looter's cigaretts, originally uploaded by Nathan Craig.

Looters smoke tobacco to in order to protect themselves from "malaire" which is also known as "antimonio" or bad air.

Note: Unfortunately, in order to upload this image from Peru, I had to downsize the photograph considerably.

Looted materials consisting of mumified limb, mandible, Late Intermediate Period ceramic, and cotton fragments

Looted materials consisting of mumified limb, mandible, Late Intermediate Period ceramic, and cotton fragments, originally uploaded by Nathan Craig.

Note: Unfortunately, in order to upload this image from Peru, I had to downsize the photograph considerably.

Portraits of violated burials

Portraits of violated burials, originally uploaded by Nathan Craig.

Note: Unfortunately, in order to upload this image from Peru, I had to downsize the photograph considerably.

Looted human remains found in situ

Looted human remains found in situ, originally uploaded by Nathan Craig.

These human remains were probably arranged by looters.

Note: Unfortunately, in order to upload this image from Peru, I had to downsize the photograph considerably.

Looter's cigarette pack and footprints

Looter's cigarette pack and footprints, originally uploaded by Nathan Craig.

Note: Unfortunately, in order to upload this image from Peru, I had to downsize the photograph considerably.

Looted crania scattered on the surface

Looted crania scattered on the surface, originally uploaded by Nathan Craig.

Note: Unfortunately, in order to upload this image from Peru, I had to downsize the photograph considerably.

Human pelvis and looter's footprint

Human pelvis and looter's footprint, originally uploaded by Nathan Craig.

Note: Unfortunately, in order to upload this image from Peru, I had to downsize the photograph considerably.

Looted child burial with copper staining hair attached to the scalp

Looted child burial with copper staining hair attached to the scalp, originally uploaded by Nathan Craig.

Probably a Late Intermediate Period burial.

Note: Unfortunately, in order to upload this image from Peru, I had to downsize the photograph considerably.

Human cranium and a pack of looter's cigaretts

Human cranium and a pack of looter's cigaretts, originally uploaded by Nathan Craig.

Looters smoke tobacco to in order to protect themselves from "malaire", or "antimonio".

Note: Unfortunately, in order to upload this image from Peru, I had to downsize the photograph considerably.

The beginning...and the end.

Looters use a tool to probe the ground for empty spaces - burials underground. These holes are probes by a looter. This is how it begins.



This crania is left, missing its mandible, atop an adobe brick. Cotton still clinging to the head is what's left of the pillowy bundle fill in which this person was enveloped. Photos by Margaret Brown Vega, 2007.