Cuevas de Toquepala

Useful Information

Location:	26 km southeast of the city of Moquegua, and 12 km southwest of the Toquepala mine. (-17.3045292, -70.7183933)
Open:	no restrictions. [2025]
Fee:	free. [2025]
Classification:	Abris Painted Cave
Light:	n/a
Dimension:	A=2,300 m asl, L=10 m.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Merlene Ordoñez Palacios (2007): Pinturas rupestres de Toquepala DIRCETUR Tacna, Recursos Turísticos, 513: 3 p. pdf Jorge C. Muelle, Rogger Ravines (1986): Toquepala Arte rupestre del Perú, inventario general: 56-86. INC Lima. Rogger Ravines (1971): Toquepala: estratigrafía y secuencia Tesis de Doctorado, UNMSM Lima, 375 p. pdf
Address:	Cuevas de Toquepala, Tel: +51-.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

7650 BC	paintings created by prehistoric man.
1950s	discovered by a mine worker.
1963	visited by Emilio González García.
1963-1964	research by archaeologists Jorge C. Muelle and Rogger Ravines of the Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology in Lima.

Description

Cuevas de Toquepala (Toquepala Caves) is a famous archaeological site with colourful cave paintings. The cave is a shelter, an overhanging cliff face and of no speleological interest. The erosional cave in sandstone was most likely created by a river flowing along, the now dry Quebrada Cimarron. Actually there are two small caves, which are named Cueva del Diablo (Devil’s Cave) and Abrigo de Toquepala (Toquepala Shelter). The site is freely accessible, but the overhang and the cave portal are gated with a massive iron bar grid which allows a free view of the paintings while protecting them from vandalism. Originally they were protected by a simple fence, but criminals dug under it and tried to chip off the painting, obviously to sell them. They were not able to actually steal a painting, because the rock shattered, but they destroyed numerous paintings. The new barrier was errected by the mining corporation.

The cave paintings show various hunting or Chaco scenes, depicting hunters cornering and killing a group of guanacos. The guanaco is a wild relative of the domesticated llamas and alpacas. Chaco is the typical hunting tactic in the Andes, a group of humans encircles the animals, then kills or captures them. Other animals, including armadillos and condors, are also depicted. There are also enigmatic geometric designs. The colours red, yellow, white, and black were used. The National Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology in Lima, with support from the Southern Perú Copper Corporation, did the scientific research of the caves between 1963 and 1967. The archaeologists Jorge C. Muelle, Rogger Ravines, and Miomir Bojovich were in charge.

The painters are also known as Toquepala man. Its unclear which was named after which, as the culture, the cave and the nearby copper mine have the same name. The culture belongs to the Andean preceramic, which refers to the early period of human occupation in the Andean area of South America. This preceded the introduction of ceramics, hence the name. It is also called pre-ceramic or aceramic.