El Fuerte de Samaipata in the light of current research

Mariusz Ziółkowski

doi:10.37190/arc200203

Abstract

Samaipata, or more precisely El Fuerte de Samaipata, is a pre-Hispanic archaeological site of approximately 40 ha located in Bolivia, on the easternslopes of the Andes. Due to its artistic and historical importance, the site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998.         The importance of El Fuerte de Samaipata and the history of the investigations of this emblematic place have been the subject of numerous works. This text summarises the main stages of the studies of the site, particularly of the rock, from the first information in Colonial sources of the 16th century to the most current research carried out by Bolivian and foreign scholars. Special emphasis is given to the documentation and preservationprograms of the petroglyphs, which are deteriorating due to environmental and anthropic factors.