| Literature DB >> 31940369 |
Marcela Sepúlveda1,2,3, Denise Pozzi-Escot4, Rommel Angeles Falcón4, Nicolas Bermeo5, Matthieu Lebon6, Christophe Moulhérat7, Philippe Sarrazin8, Philippe Walter2.
Abstract
Pachacamac is the name of the 15th-16th century Inca sanctuary on the Peruvian coast as well as the name of one of the principal oracles of Inca divinities. This effigy would have been destroyed by Pizarro in 1533 during his visit to the great monumental complex, and as such the originality and antiquity of the wooden statue-the so-called Pachacamac Idol-have been the subject of much controversy and debate. We present here previously unpublished dates that confirm its manufacture during the Middle Horizon (AD 500-1000), as well as evidence of its original polychromy. Traces of colors were observed on its different sections with portable microscopy and analyses with two different X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometry techniques, leading to identification of yellow, white, and red mineral pigments, including the presence of cinnabar. Dated between the 8th and 9th centuries, the statue would have been worshipped for almost 700 years, from the time of its creation to the time of the Spanish conquest, when Pachacamac was a major place of pilgrimage. These data not only offer a new perspective on Pachacamac's emblematic sacred icon, but also on the colorful practices of the Pre-Hispanic Andes.Entities:
Year: 2020 PMID: 31940369 PMCID: PMC6961831 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226244
Source DB: PubMed Journal: PLoS One ISSN: 1932-6203 Impact factor: 3.240
Fig 1The wooden statue of the Pachacamac Idol.
Fig 2Map of Pachacamac archaeological complex and the location of the principal temples.
Fig 3Traces of paint on the Pachacamac Idol (except white, which is indicated in grey, the others -red and yellow- are represented by their own colors).
Fig 4In-situ analysis of the Pachacamac Idol.
Fig 55a. X-ray fluorescence spectra of the 3 analysed colored traces; 5b. X-ray fluorescence mapping of the red color.