El Ciudadano
Original article: Torres de la gran minería en zonas de antiguos geoglifos de la cultura andina: El caso de Chug-Chug Este-11, Región de Antofagasta
The Chakana Geoglyphs and an Electric Tower: Big Mining and Andean Heritage in Antofagasta
An electric tower from CODELCO, associated with the Ministro Hales mine, has been erected next to two geoglyph figures representing the Chakana, or Andean cross—one of the most sacred and enduring symbols of Andean cosmology. This installation was highlighted by the Desierto de Atacama Foundation through photographic documentation of the Geoglyphs Chug-Chug Este-11, situated in the Antofagasta Region.
The Chakana, recognized for approximately 4,000 years, appears on site in two forms: an escalated chakana and a simple square cross. Both figures date from the Late Intermediate and Late periods (circa 1000-1550 AD), according to the foundation’s data. Next to them stands the mining energy infrastructure.
The organization cautioned that this situation demonstrates «visible and tangible effects of how large-scale extractive projects overlap with ancient history», representing «one of the main threats to geoglyphs». The Chug-Chug site is known for hosting one of the most significant concentrations of pre-Hispanic geoglyphs in the world’s driest desert.
The Desierto de Atacama Foundation aims to highlight the conflict between archaeological heritage and the expansion of mining infrastructure in northern Chile. They believe that the overlap of electric towers over ancestral figures serves as a wake-up call about the need to protect the remnants of indigenous cultures against contemporary extractivism.
See publication from the Desierto de Atacama Foundation
La entrada Large Mining Tower Installed Amidst Ancient Geoglyphs of Andean Culture: The Chug-Chug Este-11 Case in Antofagasta Region se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.
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