South America, Argentina, Northern Andes, Quéhuar and Azufre

Publication Year: 1982.

Quéhuar and A zufre, Northern Andes. An expedition of the Club Andino Mercedario, San Juan, comprising ten Argentinian mountaineers, several Argentinian and Japanese cameramen and the American scientist Johan Reinhard, returned to Nevado Quéhuar hoping to dig out traces of pre-Columbian occupancy that members of the same club had discovered in a previous expedition in 1974. On that occasion, the climbers had located the partial remains of the mummy of a boy some ten years old, which they could not extract because of the ice. The 1981 expedition approached Quéhuar from the village of Santa Rosa de Pastos Grandes. On February 24, Reinhard and M. Vásquez ascended nearby Cerro del Azufre (5810 meters, 19,062 feet), but no ruins were observed on its summit. The expedition placed a high camp at 17,000 feet on Quéhuar, but had to face constant snowstorms. Reinhard, who ten days before had ascended Aconcagua, went to the top for a quick survey and several other climbers ascended it again on February 28. Under deep snow, digging was very hard work and besides, treasure seekers had destroyed with dynamite the mummy’s body and parts of the inclosure where it rested.* Only a few pieces of bones, small pieces of cloth, wood and some grains of maize were obtained. On the summit were A. Beorchia, M. Fuji, Y. Kanari, A. Meglioli, K. Mori, J. Oro, J. Reinhard and P. Schleger.

Evelio Echevarría

* Mindful of the looting and destruction perpetrated by both treasure seekers and scientists on national pre-Columbian relics, the Chilean government, on its side, restated the validity of its Law 17.288 (decreed on January 27, 1970), which forbids disturbing archaeological sites existing within Chilean territory. The Federatión de Andinismo de Chile has stressed that several sections of this law refer specifically to findings on Andean summits. Digging, removal or even research are allowed under this law only with an official government permission and always under the surveillance of Chilean scientists. Violation of this law is punishable with heavy fines, confiscation of all items found and, in the case of foreign perpetrators, expulsion from the country after a period in jail.—Evelio Echevarría.