40 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 6l 



VI. EXPLORATK >NS IN THE XASCA REGION 



From Llaxwa, a hard day's journey brings one to the Hacienda 

 de Las Trancas, on a river of that same name but which later on joins 

 the Rio Xasca. It is from this road that one appreciates best the 

 dominating' nature of the fortress. The country traversed is dry 

 and no other remains of ancient settlements are met with until one 

 reaches the narrow rocky valley of the river. There in numerous 

 localities are seen stone foundations of ancient dwellings, made of 

 large water-worn stones ; despoiled burial pits lined with stones ; 

 and on a few large blocks of stone there are petroglyphs resembling 

 remarkably those common to North America. 



The above remains are, however, rather unimportant ; the archeo- 

 logical wealth of the Nasca region commences at the Hacienda de 

 Las Trancas. The main road of this large estate passes in several 

 spots across remnants of ancient habitations and burials, and numer- 

 ous cemeteries that have yielded quantities of fine pottery are in 

 the vicinity. Skulls, bones, fabrics, and other objects are strewn in 

 patches over the desert outside of the arable lands of the shallow 

 valley. A group of these cemeteries at a locality known as Poroma, 

 about three miles southwest of the hacienda, were examined later. 



From Las Trancas the writer proceeded to Majoro, one of the 

 haciendas of his friend from Lomas, Sr. Enrique Fracchia, and 

 located only a short distance below the town of Nasca. From this 

 place limited excursions were made farther up and down the valley 

 of Nasca, and also to the above-mentioned Poroma. Subsequently 

 the river was followed to considerably below where it merges into 

 the Rio Grande. What was learned during the rapid survey of these 

 regions was briefly as follows : 



Ruins of importance are found in the vicinity of Nasca, but re- 

 mains of small settlements exist at many spots along the edges of 

 the sandy plains bordering the arable lowlands. In a number of 

 instances posts of the hard and enduring huarango (mesquite) indi- 

 cate the presence of habitations, while other posts of the same wood, 

 standing in rows, subserved functions not yet determined. 



Along the various branches, as well as by the main stream of the 

 Rio Grande de Nasca, in the deserts, beyond the cultivable ground, 

 there are numerous old cemeteries, some quite extensive, but the 

 majority of small size. A great deal of excavation has been done 

 in these cemeteries, particularly during the recent period of drouth, 

 when, according to local reports, they proved a " god-send " to the 

 poor people. 



