View source for Gran Pajatén

{{short description|Archaeological site in Peru}}

{{Infobox ancient site
 |name = Gran Pajatén
 |native_name = 
 |image = Relief in Gran Pajaten.jpg
 |image_size = 200px
 |alt =
 |caption = Relief from the walls at Gran Pajatén.
 |map_type = Peru
 |relief = yes
 |map_alt = 
 |coordinates = {{coord|7.649|S|77.418|W|display=it}}
 |location = {{PER}}<br />[[San Martin Region]]
 |region =
 |type =
 |part_of =
 |length =
 |width =
 |area = 20000 m<sup>2</sup>
 |height = 
 |builder =
 |material =
 |built = 200 BCE
 |abandoned = 
 |epochs =
 |cultures = [[Chachapoyas culture]]
 |dependency_of =
 |occupants =
 |event =
 |excavations =
 |archaeologists = 
 |condition =
 |ownership =
 |management =
 |public_access =
 |website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
 |notes =
}}
'''Gran Pajatén''' is an archaeological site located in the [[Andes|Andean]] cloud forests of [[Peru]], on the border of the [[La Libertad region]] and the [[San Martín region]], between the [[Marañón River|Marañon]] and [[Huallaga river]]s. The archaeological site lies in the [[Rio Abiseo National Park]], which was established in 1983.<ref>[http://media.peru.info/mapas/sanmartin.jpg Area map of San Martin region]</ref> The park was designated a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site|World Heritage]] Natural Site in 1990, and Cultural Site in 1992. In order to protect the fragile ruins and endangered environment, the archaeological site and the national park are currently not open to visitors without permits from Peru's Ministry of Agriculture and National Institute of Culture.

The related site of [[Los Pinchudos]] is located very near Gran Pajaten.

==Description==
Gran Pajatén sits on a hilltop above the Montecristo River valley, and consists of a series of at least 26 circular stone structures atop numerous terraces and stairways. The ruins occupy an area of about 20,000 m<sup>2</sup>. The principal buildings are decorated with slate mosaics displaying human, bird and geometric motifs. Analysis of ceramic samples and radiocarbon dates show that the area was occupied as early as 200 BCE, but the visible building ruins on the present site were constructed during [[Inca]] times.<ref>Warren Church, [http://anthropology.columbusstate.edu/Church1994.pdf Early Occupations at Gran Pajaten, Peru (PDF)], in ''Andean Past'' No. 4 (1994) columbusstate.edu</ref> Based primarily on architectural evidence, the settlement is attributed to the [[Chachapoyas culture]].

===Discovery===
[[File:Gran Pajatén.jpg|left|thumb|326x326px|View of the main structure at Gran Pajatén.]]
[[File:Friso antropomorfo en el Gran Pajatén.jpg|left|thumb|326x326px|Anthropomorphic frieze on a wall of Gran Pajatén.]]
Explorer [[Gene Savoy]] is erroneously credited with having found the ruins in 1965. The site is rumored to have been discovered around 1940 by [[Juanjui]] resident Eduardo Pena Meza while exploring the area for a possible road project. However, there is no evidence that ruins he encountered were those of Gran Pajatén or ruins of another abandoned prehispanic settlement. Therefore, the "discovery" of Gran Pajatén is attributed to villagers from the town of [[Pataz]] in 1963. After he was guided to the site by Pataz villagers in 1965, Savoy claimed credit by publicizing the discovery in the world press as his own. An official Peruvian government expedition visited the site and began to clear vegetation in late 1965. By 1966, the Peruvian government had set up a helicopter pad and cleared much of the protective vegetation that surrounded the site. Many years later, these actions raised criticism due to the delicate nature of the archaeological site. Without the protection of dense vegetation, the stone ruins began to rapidly deteriorate.<ref>Warren B. Church (1999), [https://web.archive.org/web/20070226072531/http://www.cr.nps.gov/seac/164church.pdf Loving it to Death: The Gran Pajatén Predicament] www.cr.nps.gov</ref>

===Preservation===
In 1985, a team led by the anthropology department at [[University of Colorado at Boulder|University of Colorado]] began a major research project at Gran Pajatén and surrounding archaeological sites in the park. The expedition was widely publicized, and this second large-scale investigation led to further discussions of opening the site up to tourism. A Peruvian televised expedition in 1990 once again cleared the protective vegetation from the site, and further damaged the ruins. Currently, there are plans for construction of several roads and tourist infrastructure in the region. Neither have been implemented due to the fragile nature of the ruins and the high cost of conserving the site while minimizing tourist impacts on its archaeological integrity and environmental context.

At present (2023), the World Monument Fund is financing conservation work at Gran Pajatén as well as renewed archaeological investigations.

==See also==
*[[Kuélap]]
*[[Peruvian sol|Peruvian Sol]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Gran Pajaten}}
*[https://www.wmf.org/project/gran-pajat%C3%A9n Gran Pajatén] - World Monuments Fund
*Warren Church, [https://www.academia.edu/239379/Early_Occupations_at_Gran_Pajaten_Peru Early Occupations at Gran Pajaten, Peru], in ''Andean Past'' No. 4 (1994) academia.edu
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120330235333/http://anthropology.columbusstate.edu/Pajaten.htm Bibliography of Research at Gran Pajatén, Los Pinchudos and the Rio Abiseo National Park since 1985]
*Warren B. Church (1999), [http://www.georgewright.org/164church.pdf ''Loving it to Death'', Gran Pajáten as a case study of the difficulties of preserving natural and cultural resources] georgewright.org
* [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/548/ UNESCO: Rio Abiseo National Park]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050825100539/http://www.centromallqui.org.pe/chachaarki.website.pdf Overview of Chachapoya archaeology (PDF)]
* [http://anthropology.columbusstate.edu/Church2006.pdf Ethnography and archaeology of Chachapoya (PDF)]

{{Archaeological sites in Peru}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gran Pajaten}}
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Peru]]
[[Category:Former populated places in Peru]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in La Libertad Region]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in San Martín Region]]