FROM LITTLE ACORNS LARGE OAK TREES GROW
I remember so well the 22nd October 1974. I had been looking at a small black and white photograph in a populus book of the moment that someone had begged me to read. Sci - Fi really was not my kind literary pleasure any more.
"Part of the Atacama Desert known as the Pampa Colorado showing a view of the world famous Nasca Lines" blazed the title. At that moment in time it meant absolutely nothing - but something in the depths of the sub-conscience was awakened. Call it curiosity, inquisitiveness, - a mind that always asked; What is that, How does it work and Why ? Who knows, perhaps that something is the basis of divine inspiration, however, that little picture proved irrisistible.
On that very day I "discovered" the first image - well, to be truthfull - it looked like the figure of an animal drawn in a large whitish coloured triangular space amongst a myriad of lines - then immediately the question sprang into my mind,why so many lines, all going nowhere ?
Thirty years on and nearly twenty Copyrights registered : locating the very first ancient inscription ever found on the Nasca Lines, discovery of a unknown Sun Temple within the famous Cauhachi ruins, previously unknown human and animal images including the World's largest ever Rock sculptures, Zig - Zag shaped drawings on the desert and clusters of small buildings in certain areas designed to be astronomical observatories, and perhaps one of the most important : discovery of the Units of Measurement used to plan the whole Nasca Lines palimpsest.
Now to the present: on the 14th October we left for the Southern Andes to photograph and record on film two major archaeological sites; one involving massive human head imagery and inscriptive material; the other which may well prove now to be the oldest linear astronomical observatory in the World. Chankillo, Linear Observatory, in northern Peru, is around 2300 years old. At the same time we are also filming and carrying out an analysis of the most ancient of the 'agricultural' terracing.
In view of the extremely high charges now demanded for helicopter 'overfly' filming we have had to utilise a virtually untried - well, certainly in the high winds of the Southern Andes Mountains - system of overhead photography . A D90 Nikon DSLR with excellent High Definition video capability is slung atop a stabilised 7 metre (24 feet) high mast. All functions of the camera are controlled via an interconnected Macbook laptop.
The object of the "Andes Film Project 2010" was to make a visual survey and photographic record of a number of archaeological sites researched by Archaeologist William J Veall, of Sant Feliu, in conjunction with Sònia Camps over the past three years.
The archaeological sites are grouped between Humay, in the Pisco Valley and Ayacucho, in the Southern Andes of Peru.
. 
Left: View over the beautiful Pisco Valley
Right: William studies one of the looted tombs at the base of the strip of "Mysterious Holes of Peru", near Humay
"View across Pisco Valley from the "Holes
The first site to be photo-recorded was at Humay, in the Pisco Valley. Generally known as the "Mysterious Holes of Peru", no one knows what this 5000 feet long strip of holes represents although many scientists have tried to discover their age and purpose. With this new photographic evidence,and his past research William is ready to publish a revolutionary interpretation.
Tambo Colorado
The main base of our team was at Huaytara,a very pretty, tranquil township right in the heart of the Andes mountains ,at 2500 metres (6000 feet ) altitude. Our actual work sites were at 4.500 metres (15,000 feet) above sea level.
Left:The Gateway to Huaytara
Middle: View across the valley to the new church at Huaytara
Right: Fresian cattle were also found grazing at "La Estancia"
The prime target of our expedition was a site high up in the Andes Mountains, discovered using the Google Earth satellite. There is no known record of this site but extensive research suggested it could be a "Linear Observatory" even older than the now famous Chankillo in Northern Peru which is around 2300 years old
A GoogleEarth picture showing the "Southern Andes Linear Observatory" located on the site known as the ancient village, "La Estancia". The 15 "rings" stand out very clearly as do the foundations of ancient buildings
Note : "Linear Observatory" : In simplistic terms, a conventional "Stone Circle" has large stone markers spaced around its circumference, each stone relating to a point on the distant horizon; the annual cycle of the Solstices, the Equinoxes or the rising and setting points of the Moon, for example. A "Linear Observatory" functions astronomically the same except instead of being set around the circumference of a circle, the markers are spaced along a straight line- hence the name Linear Observatory.
However, inspite of a carefully planned off-road route to the site we were confronted with a major problem. During the course of construction of a gas pipe - line, entry to the "Observatory" was completely blocked and impassable. Surrounded by towering mountains there was no way through.
To cut a long story short: as luck would have it, some of the actual pipeline crew were staying at our hotel in Huaytara.
Fortunately, one of the Chiefs Engineers knew of a person born and bred in a small village, Los Libertadores, bordering our prime site and who knew every inch of the region intimately. After much debate Manuel, who thought we were looters searching for the ancient gold and silver mines, eventually agreed join our 4x4 team and guide us to the location which the locals known as "La Estancia".
Well, we might as well have been traveling over the surface of the moon - its was terrible, 5 kilometres of the worlds' worst terrain. With huge black clouds bubbling up and threatening rain,or a worst early heavy snow storms it was no place to be at 15000 feet . Eventually Manuel called a halt and said that we must walk the last 2 kms.
True to his word Manuel led us right above the site. Slipping and sliding down the last 300 feet we hit the site dead center.
There was no time to waste. Over 50 pictures were rapidly and skillfully set up and shot all in the space of 30 minutes, or so.
With the weather deteriorating it was time to leave. Finally in pouring rain the team arrived back at the 4x4 and departed back to base.
There is no question now, the site is genuine. We had done what we set out to do. Located on the ground the hitherto unknown archaeological site discovered by William Veall using Google Earth, filmed its basic features for the historical record and thus brought it to the notice of the archaeological world.
Will it turn out to be the oldest "Observatory” in the World? Only an archaeoastronomical ground survey will reveal its true provenance.
. 
Left: Final proof that the 15 circular aerial markings detected from Google Earth photographs are, indeed, solid stone circles of 8-9 metres diameter
Right: The mountainous valley in which the "Observatory" is located
. 
Left: The "Andes Film Project 2010" Team Leader, William J.Veall
Middle: Stills Photographer Sònia Camps , Manuel Guerra Villanueva-President local Environmental Protection and our guide and, SUV Driver Erick Diaz of 4x4 Expeditions, Lima, Perú
Right: William recording facts about the mountainside terraces
. 
Two views of extreme mountainous terrain crossed by our off-road vehicle, the superb 4x4 Ssyangyoung Rexton 320
Heavy snow-clouds building up over the snow-capped mountains. Erick calmly reads his book awaiting the teams' return from photo-shoot
William James © 2010