A bearded figure wearing a turban and dressed in a cloak, a drum, a legend in ancient characters all imprinted on a remote plateau in southern Peru, perhaps, more than 2500 years ago. Just why was this image elongated until it fitted within the borders of a long, thin, wedge-shaped space ?.

THE PRIEST - GOD OF PAMPA DE ST. IGNACIO - the penultimate Nascodex News Release planned for 2003, tells of a unique and rare style of geoglyphic icon discovered by Archaeologist, William J Veall, when examining aerial photographs of the Pampa de St. Ignacio located just to the south of the small town of Palpa in southern Peru. ( See Figure 1 map ).

The trapezoid upon which the image is constructed is part of a geoglyph combination which interestingly enough contains the well publicised “Paddle Wheel” biomorph. Termed by the author, the “Priest - God”; this new icon is one of an increasing number of additive geoglyphs i.e. surface constructed , recorded by the author whilst studying surface texture variations on the larger trapezoidal, triangular and rectangular cleared areas within the Nasca Lines palimpsest.

Like the geoglyph reported in News Release 1: Epigraphy ( Click Home Page ) a clearing contains rows of stone heaps seemingly to be random placement - postulated by some archaeologists to be a geoglyph in the course of elaboration - then for some inexplicable reason simply neglected. However, because in the authors experience certain factors tend not to support this theory, the patterning was examined by using the same technique of analysis developed for the Epigraphy project.

Observation indicated that the raw stone heaps- the black dots in the aerial photograph - were generally laid out linearly in short parallel rows along the length of the trapezoid; estimated from aerials to be about 30 metres width at the base and around 100 metres in length ( Figure 2 ). A very precise plan was prepared and each variable length row of stone heaps linked by a continuous pencil line - much after the manner of the children’s game of drawing by dots or numbers. (Figure 3 ).

It became immediately obvious from the preliminary sketch ( Figure 3 ) the patterning was not another inscription .The rows appeared to be interconnected and cohesive , for example, whilst some single lines were curved or wavy and separate from neighbouring rows, others in adjacent parallel rows were conjoined at their extremities ( see Plate 3 ). Also, a cylindrical shape was formed by the dots at the base end of the trapezoid. .Nevertheless, it was still not clear as to the intention of the ( deliberate ?) placement of the heaps of stones.

As is well known, it is almost impossible to view whole biomorphs from ground level due to their gigantic size, therefore, employing the well known Nasca Lines “everything is so big it must have been constructed to be seen from the air “ theory, the author noted after a few visual experiments there was only one viewing perspective - lengthwise along the trapezoid from the apex end. Hey Presto, the Priest - God of St. Ignacio !.The ‘cylindrical’ outline took on the shape of a drum with a lanyard attached. Immediately beneath were set what appears to be “ characters” (?). ( See Figure 3 ).

So what preliminary statements can we make ?.Firstly, why an elongated image - why not set it within a normal square or rectangular frame ?. Then the head itself: its physiognomy is certainly not that recognised as indigenous, therefore, if the interpretive drawing ( Figure 4 ) is correct, where in the time scale of Precolumbian Peru does one place bearded men wearing cloaks and a turban-like headdress ?. Perhaps there is a clue hidden in the depths of pre-Inca mythology. Tales were told long before culmination of the Incas of how ancestors had spoken of visitations from “Gods of the East”; these visitors were bearded and dressed from head to foot in long white cloaks. After teaching the peoples many things they took to their boats and sailed - back to the East.

What of the stone heaps that look like characters, perhaps, they are the official title or name of the person represented in the image ?.A friend suggested “Sultan of St. Ignacio” . Without a serious site survey both the “characters” and the “drum” must remain speculative at this stage.

There is no question that this rare and unique discovery, together with the reports in Nascodex News Releases earlier this year , will open up amazing new avenues of research for “Rediscovering the history of the Andean Peoples“. The full Priest - God of St. Ignacio report together with the authors opinion and explanation can be obtained by e-mailing nascodex@libertysurf.fr Click to Home Page.

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