Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-21
Expedition Probes Mysteries
Of Ancient 7on1bs in Peru

ing action OF the wind blows 1t
out again.
We found the cross digging to
be 602 feet long. 200 feet wide.
It points true north-south.
There are various local ex-
plantations for the phenomenon.
It has been ascribed to a Bishop
who had 1t carved in the sand to
celebrate his salvation from
thirst: to whaling captains who
had their sailors make it so they
would not be idle. But it Is
Indian. pre-Inca. and believe
related to all the other inysteri-
Gus lines and m,lmmies found in
this dry all-preserving desert.
Immense Burial Caves.
Almost, in q direct line Is
miles inland from the signal Of
tires Cruces" are the burial
grounds Of what is called the
ParacaS culture. No one knows
much more than that: there are
no houses, NJ ruins or pyramids.
only immense burial caves which
have been dug out Of the same
type of soil as tires Cruces"
Shafts IS feet deep were sunk
by the Indians into the rock,
chambers were followed out and
stuffed with the mummitled dead.
Other vaults were built of rock
and adobe cemented with sea
weed. We found ribs of whales
throughout the ruins. leading us
to believe that the bones were
used in the roofs. since wood is
nonresident here.
In the chambers Of a Peruvian
archaeologist found as many as
429 mummy bundles, each five
feet in diameter, containing in
perfect state canvas-like cloth.
embroidered mantles, shirts.
breech-clouts, and turbans. the
most barbarically beautiful of
anything yet found In all the
Americas.
There is no indication where
they came from: this desert with
it's devastatingly hot wind pre-
cludeS it as a habitat for agri-
cultural people. Yet they must
have been farmers to have grown
the cottons and the woods for
their fabulous textiles.
Well Acquainted With Sea.
Where did these people come
from?
Did they come by sea, by balsa
RATS to their burial place guided
by the tires Cruces" single? Did
they come overland carrying
their mummified dead on gold
spangled litters?
If not. where else?
Not the coast surely for their
cloaks, thick and heavy. seemed
to have been made for higher,
colder places. Whatever the
answer they were well acquainted
with the sea. Their graves are
filled with fish nets and sea shells
and whale bones so they must
have combined burials with sea-
sonal orgies Of fishing. Directly
in front Of the burial caves at
Cerro Colorado in the Pisco Bay
is one Of the richest fishing
grounds on the coast.
To test a theory, we decided
to look into the distribution of
whales in these waters. The
whole expedition piled into the
Norman ! operating out of the
whaling station at Paracas. We
left at midnight. sailed straight
into the cold Humboldt current
that comes UP from Antartica-
the current that Is responsible
for the deserts Of Peru. 1t also
is responsible for the incredible
amount Of sea life as we'll as the
millions Of sea birds.
We passed the Chincha
Islands, black with lowering
birds; the rocks glistened white
from the accumulation of bird
dung. the source of the famous
guano.
Before the age Of synthetics,
guano was the richest fertilizer
in the world. It was discovered
and used by the Indians who
made periodic visits to the
islands in their RATS and there
perhaps met up with the whales.
IL Whales Killed.
We killed IL good-sized sperm
whales 1890 feet long within
four hours, inflated them and