Toro Muerto, vol. I

A Catalogue of Iconographic Motifs in Rock Art / Un catálogo de motivos iconográficos del arte rupestre

By (author) Janusz Z. Wołoszyn By (author) Liz Gonzales Ruiz

Book cover: Toro Muerto, vol. I

Extent: 412 pages

Publisher: Brepols Publishers

Subjects: Archaeology of the Americas

Series: Warsaw Studies in Archaeology

Series volume number: 20

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(July 2026)

ISBN: 9782503623573

Price: $119.00

Out of stock

This book inaugurates a planned series focusing on Toro Muerto, the largest rock art site in South America. Located in Peru’s Arequipa region, Toro Muerto covers approximately 50 km², with the densest concentration of nearly 2500 volcanic boulders engraved with petroglyphs contained within its central 10 km². Known since the 1950s, the site was nevertheless only partially recorded, and earlier documentation was often incomplete or inaccurate. Since 2015, a team of Polish researchers from the University of Warsaw, working in collaboration with Peruvian specialists, has undertaken a systematic programme of documentation; the results are presented here for the first time. Lavishly illustrated and published in both English and Spanish, this volume functions as both a catalogue and a typology of Toro Muerto’s geometric, zoomorphic, and anthropomorphic motifs. It presents the first high-resolution digital record of the site, featuring nearly 50 motif types, almost 700 photographs, and 5500 drawings. With an unprecedented level of detail, the book provides a solid foundation for future iconographic and archaeological research, offering new insights into the symbolic and ritual significance of one of the world’s most impressive rock art complexes.

  • By (author) Janusz Z. Wołoszyn
  • By (author) Liz Gonzales Ruiz