Ica stones

The Ica stones have all been reported from the Ica Province in Peru. The stones are composed of grey andesite, a type of volcanic rock. They vary considerably in size, from very small (a few centimetres across) to boulders over half a metre across. The majority of the stones are relatively small. scratched through the oxidized surface. == History ==

Background Archaeological discoveries show evidence of Peruvian cultures going back for several thousand years. At some later stages, the whole of modern Peru was united into a single political and cultural unit, culminating in the Inca Empire, followed by the Spanish conquest. At other stages, areas such as the Ica Valley, a habitable region separated from others by desert, developed distinctive cultures of their own. Engraved stones have been known from the region since long before the Ica stones were reported. The earliest known reports of similar artifacts are records by the Jesuit missionary Padre Simón, who travelled Peru during the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in the early and middle sixteenth century. amount of Ica stones are known today, with the total number estimated to be around 50,000 Cabrera's collection The most widely known collection of Ica stones is that of the physician Javier Cabrera Darquea (1924–2001). In order to expand his collection Cabrera reached out to the brothers Carlos and Pablo Soldi, collectors of pre-Inca Peruvian artifacts. The Soldis reportedly had a large collection of similar engraved stones, according to them found in the Ocucaje region, and sold 341 of them to Cabrera. to showcase his collection. Pezzia continued to search. In the San Evaristo cemetery in Toma Luz, he reported the find of an engraved stone of similar size to the previous one, depicting a fish. The context reportedly dated the tomb to the Middle Horizon ( 600–1000 A.D.). In a nearby grave in the same cemetery, Pezzia reported the find of a stone depicting a llama. Pezzia published his findings in 1968, including drawings and descriptions. In 1968, Calvo donated some of the stones of his collection to the Regional Museum of Ica, and also unsuccessfully sought to have the region where they had been found made into a special preserve so that ancient objects could not be removed illegally. The stones were exhibited at the museum, labelled as "pre-Inca burial art", until they were removed in 1970 once Cabrera's collection and ideas concerning similar stones began to be publicized, the museum now believing them to be hoaxes. == Imagery ==

The Ica stones are engraved with various types of images. Some images are directly incised whereas others have been made by removing the background, leaving the image in relief. The images vary from simple pictures on one side of a pebble to designs of great complexity. Some of the designs are in styles reminiscent of the historical Paracas, Nazca, Tiwanaku, or Inca cultures. Some of the images appear to show a dinosaur lifecycle in which larvae hatched from dinosaur eggs before undergoing a form of metamorphosis to grow into the various adult forms; highly inconsistent with real dinosaur lifecycles. Humans and technology The humans depicted on the stones, supposedly belonging to some unknown ancient Peruvian culture, are reminiscent of Incas or Aztecs. Some stones have been suggested to depict anachronistic and highly advanced technology, including medical professionals performing complex surgeries, acupuncture, genetic engineering, humans observing the heavens through telescopes, flying machines, and spaceships. Among the surgeries depicted are heart and brain surgeries, caesarean sections, and transplants of hearts, livers, and kidneys. Most human figures are stylized with big heads and long noses. They appear to differ from all of the well-known ancient cultures in the area. The figures are depicted as wearing loincloths and feather headresses and when shown in scenes of warfare they carry axes and spears as weapons, despite the advanced technology shown otherwise. Those who believe the stones to be authentic defend the apparent contradiction between the clothing and tools and the advanced technology by suggesting that all cultures may not progress through the same technological path or that the stones might depict sports or rituals. If a society as advanced as the one alleged to be depicted on some of the stones existed in the region it is highly unlikely that the only trace uncovered of them would be the artwork on the Ica stones. Other expected finds that could corroborate such a civilization having existed would for instance include ruins of advanced structures, garbage, as well as graves and bones, none of which has been found. Other designs Some stones are engraved with depictions of maps of the land or the stars. There are stones depicting acts of bestiality, some of which have been referred to as "pornographic". Some stones feature images are of flowers, fish, or extant animals of various sorts; in some cases the depicted extant life is out of place in Peru, such as depictions of kangaroos. == Impact and investigation ==

Interpretation The Ica stones are generally considered by historians and archaeologists to have been thoroughly exposed as forgeries and to be hoaxes created for the purpose of earning money off of tourist buyers. The popularization of the stones made Cabrera famous in pseudoscientific circles but also ruined his professional credibility and family life and brought him ridicule in the press and the contempt of scientists. The stones are also sometimes presented as evidence by "mytho-historians" who believe that some ancient myths should be understood as accurate and literal historical accounts. the idea that some are authentic. The number of stones could for instance be interpreted as evidence against their authenticity since it might indicate large amounts of them having been made for the purposes of selling them to tourists. Modern "Ica artists" have allegedly followed in Uschuya and Gutiérrez's footsteps in producing new forged stones, some based on their designs. No studies have been made attempting to distinguish possible genuine stones in the collections. Even if some of the more outlandish stones were genuine artifacts, their motifs could plausibly depict less anachronistic scenes than what has been claimed; the images are all highly stylized and what precisely is being depicted is in many cases not clear. It is for instance possible that scenes interpreted as showing advanced surgery in reality show acts of mutilation and some supposed flying machines could alternatively be interpreted as birds. It is possible that the stones donated to the Regional Museum of Ica by Calvo are genuine. In contrast to those in Cabrera's collection, Calvo's stones supposedly have shallower cuts, show finer workmanship, and do not depict any extinct animals, unconventional humans, or advanced technology. The motifs of Calvo's stones are typical of pre-Columbian artwork, for instance depicting flowers and birds. If Calvo's stones were to be verified as genuine, it would not imply that the more outlandish stones in Cabrera's collection are also genuine. In order to defend the assertion that the stones were made by an advanced civilization, Cabrera stated that andesite is a hard stone that is difficult to carve, particularly using stone tools. Contrary to Cabrera's assessment, the stones are not carved but engraved; the engravings were made through scratching away the surface layer of oxidation. Furthermore, many pre-Columbian cultures, including the Aztec, Inca, and Maya, had advanced metallurgy and were not limited to stone tools. == See also ==