Toro Muerto, the Desert of Dancing Figures
In a stony desert in southern Peru, thousands of rocks are carved with dancing human figures, snakes, birds and strange masked beings.
What was reported
Toro Muerto, 'Dead Bull', is a desert valley in the Arequipa region of Peru, scattered with thousands of white volcanic boulders. On many of them are petroglyphs: carved figures of people who seem to be dancing, often wearing masks or headdresses, along with snakes, llamas, condors, the Sun and geometric shapes.
It's one of the largest fields of rock carvings in the world. Some have claimed that the masked figures show astronauts or aliens.
Explanations offered
Archaeologists think most of the carvings were made by people of the Wari culture, around 1,000 years ago, perhaps as part of rituals connected with water and fertility in the desert. The masked figures probably show dancers or spirits in ceremonies.
- When
- Carved about 1,000 years ago
- Where
- Toro Muerto, Arequipa, Peru
- Witnesses
- Archaeologists and visitors
- Status
- Meaning unknown
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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