San Martín

Citadel of Gran Pajatén

This citadel is located at 2850 meters above sea level, on the right bank of the Montecristo River, and sits on the flanks of a narrow tableland. Most buildings at Gran Pajatén were constructed by the Chachapoyas culture (1200 to 1500 AD) but radiocarbon dating shows the site was occupied from 200 BC. Central buildings are decorated with slate mosaics featuring human, geometric and bird figures. The ruins are extremely fragile and most are still covered with vegetation, leading the Peruvian government to restrict visitors to those with a permit from the Institute of Culture.

Panguana Petroglyphs

The name of these petroglyphs is attributed to the fact that in the sector where they’re found, there’s an abundance of the birds known as Panguana. The principal characteristic of the petroglyphs is that they were made at the same time on a rock formation 2 meters high. The surface of both rocks is covered with carvings that form anthropomorphic and abstract figures. The rock collection lies in the high hilly terrain surrounding a river valley.

Polish Petroyglyphs and Bello Horizonte

The site is a collection of five stones with carvings in bas-relief. The carvings represent animal figures, plants and holes, forming in horizontal rows, together with representations of birds and snakes. Even now it’s unknown which era these carvings belong to, but studies by archaeologist Anselmo Lozano Calderon attribute their origin to the late pre-Hispanic period.

Chazuta Archaeological Site

The modern-day town of Chazuta is built on top of an archaeological site, where several funeral urns have been uncovered. The urban excavation occupies the lateral alluvial terrace of the Haulage River, covering an area of approximately 100 hectares. The town’s population is about 5000. Archaeologically, the discovery of funeral urns in Chazuta and its surroundings confirms the historical and cultural importance of the Central Huallaga region.

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