1,000-year-old geoglyphs in Atacama Desert destroyed by off-road racers: Report

The presence of quadbikes, 4X4s, and all-terrain motorcycles has destroyed a collection of huge artworks that were carved into the Atacama Desert.

Located in Chile’s Tarapacá region, the geoglyphs of Alto Barranco were created by Indigenous people along the migration route between the Oasis of Pica and the Pacific coast.

As per reports, these etchings were created between 900 and 1450 CE by removing darker surface rocks and pebbles from the ground. The discovery also left behind a lighter sandy layer beneath.

Extreme sports in Atacama Desert threaten ancient geoglyphs despite conservation efforts

Notably, the Atacama Desert receives rainfall only a few times in a year. It also experiences intense sun and heat conditions that make plant and animal life almost non-existent.

Owing to these conditions, the desert almost remained the same for 25 million years. These unique qualities of the desert have attracted extreme sports enthusiasts. These activities have severely damaged those relying solely on archaeological tours’ incomes.

Reagrding this, the president of the Chilean Society of Archaeology Marcela Sepúlveda shared that it’s practically impossible for anyone not to see the huge geoglyphs that are placed around archaeological zones in order to prevent damage.

Despite all the efforts of conservation, the organizers of large races like the Atacama Rally have denied any responsibility for the damage.

According to Atacama Rally director Gerardo Fontaine, the race organizers set their routes, which are then approved by the regional authorities.

The director then blamed the drivers who rented motorcycles in the desert and mostly drove without permission.

Efforts to protect Atacama geoglyphs face challenges from rally damage

Pérez Reyes, director of the Regional Museum of Iquique, had been raising formal complaints since 2017 about the damage to geoglyphs caused by the rallies. In 2022, he even filed a complaint with the judicial authorities in Tarapacá that claimed the rally’s route had overlapped with archaeological sites

As of now, anyone damaging Chile’s archaeological sites may face more than five years in prison and fines equivalent to $14,500. Authorities are working on developing strategies that would help raise awareness among desert rally enthusiasts.

“The government’s responses have always been reactive rather than preventive” Reyes noted. He added that many of the geoglyphs that first sparked his childhood interest in archaeology would soon disappear. However, he expressed hope that showcasing the stark images in his museum could raise awareness about the vast ancient treasures hidden in the Chilean desert dunes.

The Atacama desert is located in the north of Chile. It stretches over a 1,600-kilometer-long strip of land west of the Andes Mountains. People say that the Atacama desert is the driest nonpolar desert in the world.

The desert is also famous for geoglyphs, which are large-scale designs or motifs etched into the ground. Most of these artworks are made by removing the top layer of the soil or even sometimes arranging stones that will help form shapes.

These shapes can range from normal geometric patterns to complex figures of humans, animals, or any kind of prevalent symbols.