The horToquepala name It is the generic name used to designate the oldest painter or group of cave painters in Peru. The works were found in the Toquepala Cave (or Tokepala), also known as Devil's Cave, which is located at 2,700 meters above sea level in the Tacna region, in the extreme south of the Republic of Peru..
Experts estimate that the cave painting of the Toquepala man dates back more than 10,000 years, and the cave is considered the most important gallery of Paleolithic paintings in the Peruvian nation. In 1960, the Croatian archaeologist Miomir Bojovich (1922-2013) discovered and explored it for the first time.
Regarding the images, they show hunting scenes or “chaku” (Quechua word that means capture of vicuñas). You can also see lithic instruments (carved in stone) dating from approximately 7,600 BC. Archaeologists affirm that rituals were performed in that cave to attract success in hunting..
In addition, they assure that this type of ritual was representative of the esoteric thinking of the Palaeolithic hunters. Thus, the findings in the Toquepala cave help to place the Toquepala man around that period. Both the cave and its paintings were declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation in 2004.
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The notion of the Toquepala man arose with the discovery of the cave, which is located near an important copper mining site. The mine has been exploited since 1955 by the Southern Peru Copper Corporation. For this reason, some versions indicate that it was discovered by mine workers in the late 1950s..
These same unofficial versions indicate that the first surveys could have been carried out by employees of this company. However, the official versions indicate that the discoverer was Miomir Bojovich. Later, the also archaeologists Emilio González and Jorge Muelle made formal studies from the year 1963.
In reality, very little is known about the characteristics of the Toquepala man. However, through the images captured in the caves certain conjectures can be made.
The central theme of the paintings of the Toquepala man is that of hunting. Consequently, specialists do not rule out the possibility that this cave was a place where shamans performed rites and ceremonies related to this activity. For them, these paintings had a magical character and corresponded to propitiatory rites.
In their opinion, the drawings were a sample of what they call analogy magic. According to this idea, the aborigines believed that the image was not only a representation, but the animal itself that by magic would die from the same wound represented in the painting.
Furthermore, the researchers claim that the Toquepala Man paintings represent the hunting style of the time. Clearly, the practice of scaring, circling and harassing prey can be identified. On the other hand, the associated human silhouettes have the characteristic of being in motion and most seem to carry weapons..
Although in various forms, none of the hunters' heads have distinctly human features. On the other hand, the representation of ears and muzzles of animals seem exaggerated. These two characteristics make specialists think that the images could reflect a mythological nature of the hunting activity..
The studies carried out by González and Muelle showed that the man from Toquepala could have been an archaic hunter of vicuñas and guanacos. The cave, on the other hand, may have been a temporary refuge and sanctuary for their religious ceremonies prior to hunting expeditions..
Discoveries in the cave indicated that this may have been a frequently followed hunting route. This is clear from the different layers of paint in the images and the different techniques used. On the other hand, the articles found in the cave were all related to hunting, so the cave is thought of as a pilgrimage site.
The colors used in the cave paintings were mostly red, green, yellow and black, and the painted figures are estimated at a number greater than fifty.
They are grouped into six sectors throughout the cave. Unrelated scenes are clearly visible, which is indicative that they were added at different times..
All have a reduced size, no more than 20 cm in the case of animal figures and no more than 10 cm for human figures. They are painted in different colors, which could correspond, in the opinion of experts, to separate moments in time. This separation could range from a few hours to several millennia..
The figures that seem to be the oldest painted in the cave, correspond to the red ones. They also present a different style to the rest of the figures. The animals are represented with elongated necks and entirely painted. His thighs are represented thick and well drawn.
With regard to human figures, they are represented in an anthropomorphic way, the same color as that of the animals. The two legs are drawn with realism and their lower part is represented with a finer line. The feet are indicated by a small stripe and one leg is represented backwards, in a walking position.
The results of the investigations indicate that the man of Toquepala was grouped in small groups of nomadic hunters and gatherers. As the seasons changed, they moved over already known areas. They also took shelter in seasonal camps inside caves.
In this sense, the groups were formed equally without formal leadership. Tasks were also distributed equally based on their abilities. It is believed that there could be a distribution of activities depending on sex and ages.
The collective character of the property of things governed. Except perhaps tools, ornaments, or clothing, everything else was jointly owned. The accumulation of goods was not in their customs due to the limitation of the group's mobility. Similarly, war conflicts were rare.
On the other hand, the population density was low, between 0.3 and 0.03 people per km² approximately. This forced the groups to practice the exchange of members.
In this way, among other things, proportions were harmonized between both sexes. Even experts think that they practiced exogamy (choice of spouse outside of one's own group).
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