Explorer Gene Savoy is erroneously credited with having found the ruins in 1965.
The site is rumored to have been discovered around 1940 by Juanjui resident Eduardo Pena Meza while exploring the area for a possible road project.
However, there is no evidence that ruins he encountered were those of Gran Pajatén or ruins of another abandoned prehispanic settlement.
Therefore, the "discovery" of Gran Pajatén is attributed to villagers from the town of Pataz in 1963.
After he was guided to the site by Pataz villagers in 1965, Savoy claimed credit by publicizing the discovery in the world press as his own.
An official Peruvian government expedition visited the site and began to clear vegetation in late 1965.
By 1966, the Peruvian government had set up a helicopter pad and cleared much of the protective vegetation that surrounded the site.
Many years later, these actions raised criticism due to the delicate nature of the archaeological site.
Without the protection of dense vegetation, the stone ruins began to rapidly deteriorate.
Explorer Gene Savoy is erroneously credited with having found the ruins in 1965. The site is rumored to have been discovered around 1940 by Juanjui resident Eduardo Pena Meza while exploring the area for a possible road project. However, there is no evidence that ruins he encountered were those of Gran Pajatén or ruins of another abandoned prehispanic settlement. Therefore, the "discovery" of Gran Pajatén is attributed to villagers from the town of Pataz in 1963. After he was guided to the site by Pataz villagers in 1965, Savoy claimed credit by publicizing the discovery in the world press as his own. An official Peruvian government expedition visited the site and began to clear vegetation in late 1965. By 1966, the Peruvian government had set up a helicopter pad and cleared much of the protective vegetation that surrounded the site. Many years later, these actions raised criticism due to the delicate nature of the archaeological site. Without the protection of dense vegetation, the stone ruins began to rapidly deteriorate.
Gran Pajatén