The lost empire east of the Andes
Paititi
For nearly two decades, explorer Greg Deyermenjian and his team have followed the Inca Road of Stone into the Pantiacolla region of Peru — documenting the presence of the last Incas in the legendary land known as Antisuyu, or Paititi.
The June 2004 Quest for Paititi exploration team followed the direction of the Inca Road of Stone, penetrating the northern reaches of Peru's Pantiacolla region and documented the Incas' presence in this mysterious land east of the Andes. Explorer Greg Deyermenjian and his Quechua-speaking native guides, Paulino and Alberto Mamani, "Goyo" Toledo, and the film crew of Producer Garrett Strang and Cinematographer Erin Harvey, slashed their way through thickets and underbrush for over two weeks to uncover a number of significant Inca ruins.
For nearly two decades, Deyermenjian and his crew have shed new insight into Inca culture and unearthed archaeological sites that have added to the understanding of its legendary empire, known as Antisuyu or Paititi. Based on local word of mouth and the findings from the team's 1999 expedition, the explorers believe their recent discoveries could be directly related to the legend of Paititi, given their strategic location to the Road of Stone.
Facing extreme conditions of frigid cold at altitudes up to 14,000 feet to steady heat under the Andean sun, the expedition team followed its course, despite several setbacks and fatigue. They landed by helicopter north of the Lago de Angel, an unmapped area until the last expedition (1999). They settled south/southeast of Lago de Angel where they documented the ruins of a series of caves with triangular monoliths to which the team wants to return.
Following a barely perceptible part of an unmapped Incan road between the Rio Paucartambo and Rio Timpia, the team faced the drudgery of long, grueling treks into Peru's Pantiacolla region. While watching their footing, they looked for evidences of Inca trails that would connect Lago de Angel with Ultimo Punto — an area Paulino had become familiar with through local wisdom. They traversed the highland range of Tambocancha and descended steep tributaries of the Rio Mapacho. In the unexplored headwaters of the Rio Timpia that lie in the heart of the Plateau of Pantiacolla, they faced their most arduous journey so far.
Deemed a Flag Expedition by The Explorers Club, this expedition was professionally acknowledged and chronicled as an impressive history of courage and accomplishment as it furthers the cause of exploration and field science. Follow-up articles on the science and historical significance of the expedition are being published.
Maps of the discoveries — to include ceremonial platforms, tombs, and an Incan compound — are being scrupulously constructed from on-location GPS data and from Greg's and Paulino's notes.
The expedition also followed another course — the making of a broadcast film. Producer/Director Garrett Strang and Cinematographer Erin Scott Harvey have done a superb job with filming each aspect of the expedition from the meticulous preparation for survival, to the unforeseen dangers of trekking into unknown territory, as well as the euphoria that drove them onward after each discovery. The rough-cut version of Image Studios' film captures the interminable passion and determination of this dedicated team and gives viewers a first-hand look at expedition life in this mystical and perilous land.
The 2004 Expedition
The Quest
Since 1984, scientific expeditions into the high and lower jungle north and northeast of Cusco — in search of the furthest reach of the Incas.
Since 1984, Greg Deyermenjian and his team have been making scientific expeditions into the high and lower altitude jungle areas north and northeast of Cusco, Peru. Sponsored over the years by The Explorers Club; a Shipton-Tilman Grant from Gore Tex; and the Polartec Performance Challenge Award; the team welcomed its 2004 Expedition sponsor, Eastern Mountain Sports. Support from such prestigious sponsors is partly from the team's unquestionable reputation for scientific integrity and ethical conduct in both the execution and documentation of their findings — not to mention a passion beyond words.
"This expedition was the most ambitious and significant to date. We aimed to unearth new, historical evidence of the presence of the last Incas in this region — which we did — but more importantly, to assert that the quest for Paititi must continue, given the strategic location of these ruins along or near the Inca Road of Stone so far north."— G. Deyermenjian
The route, leg by leg
Cusco — direction Callanga
The team traveled by vehicle north of Cusco into the highland routes toward the jungles east in altitudes that exceed 4,000 meters. Documented ruins.
Return to Cusco
Returned to Cusco for fresh supplies. To conserve time and energy, the team hired a helicopter in Cusco to travel into the mountain jungle.
Inca Road of Stone and Lago de Angel
The helicopter dropped the team deep into the Pantiacolla area near the Lago de Angel. The team attempted to follow and map forgotten parts of the Inca Road of Stone up to an unexplored zone of the Pantiacolla Plateau — tracking important milestones at the Lago de Angel. Ruins and caves documented. Following the trail down into the nearly impenetrable cloud-forest, and then climbing up to the highlands the team found the mysterious "8-shaped" lake that is now known as "Lago de Angel." The stonework of an ancient Incan presence around the lake seemed to continue on, ever northwestward.
Explore beyond Lago de Angel
GPS technology helped the team track their position along the way, while the wisdom and expertise of their Machiguenga guide, Goyo, would lead them toward the Rio Timpia. At nearly 11,000 feet altitude, another platform of asymmetrical form, being shaped like a pointed bullet, with five sides, its tip pointed northeast. Its location offered a commanding view of two distinct river systems, that of the Yavero far below to the west, and that of the Timpia and its uppermost tributaries to the east.
Rio Timpia
They continued their journey around the headwaters of the Rio Ticumpinca toward the Rio Timpia, the furthest northern exploration yet. Slashing their way through thick, centuries-old vegetation, the team pushed ahead to an area where their most important ruins to date were found. Platforms discovered. Incan compound.
Furthest Incan vestige directly north of Cusco
12° 25.5′ S · 72° 11.5′ W
The location of the platform — at 12 degrees, 25.5 minutes south latitude, by 72 degrees, 11.5 minutes west longitude — mark it as the furthest Incan vestige to be found directly north of Cusco, and the area as the furthest reach of the land mass which makes up the Meseta de Pantiacolla. And those dark ranges beyond constituted a blank space on the U.S. Department of Defense / Peruvian Instituto Geografico Nacional's satellite-generated maps, an area labeled "DATOS INSUFICIENTES," insufficient data, impenetrable as yet to the eye in the sky. — Deyermenjian
Lake of Suchi Cocha
These zones form a perimeter bearing strong evidence of Inca civilization, extending along the Paucartambo cordillera in the south toward the Toporake Plateau further north. Ruins found.
20th Anniversary Year
The Team
The expedition group moved forward in their 20th Anniversary year as part of the Asociación Cultural Exploraciones Antisuyu (ACEA), officially inscribed within Peru. Explorer Greg Deyermenjian is president of the ACEA to which all the expeditionaries involved in this project belong.
Expedition crew
Explorer · ACEA President
Greg Deyermenjian
Greg is a native Bostonian and a Fellow of The Explorers Club. Greg is also Chairman of the club's New England Chapter. Deemed The Explorers Club's foremost authority on the archaeology and exploration of the high jungle areas of southeast Peru, Greg has written many articles and presented to audiences of The Explorers Club, The Institute of Andean Studies, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the American Rock Art Research Association, and other settings within the USA and Peru. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. When not in the mountains of Peru, Greg works as a psychologist for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Retardation.
Peruvian Explorer
Paulino Mamani
Paulino is native to the highlands and subtropical valleys of the Province of Calca. He is a member of the ACEA and a Fellow International of The Explorers Club. Paulino has been with the Paititi exploration project since its inception in 1984. He is considered among the foremost of Peru's explorers of the southeast region.
Machiguenga Guide
Goyo Toledo
Goyo belongs to the Machiguenga tribe and has been serving as a key guide to Greg and his exploration crew since 1984.
Crew Member
Alberto Mamani
Alberto is a cousin of Paulino's and served as a guide.
Crew Member · ACEA Secretary
Monica Silva de Deyermenjian
Monica is Secretary of the ACEA and joined the expedition group for the first time this year. She is native to Peru and assisted the crew during the first portion of the journey.
Production crew
Producer / Director
Garrett Strang
Garrett is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work has been recognized by his peers with the New York's International Film Festival Award; CINDY Award; Telly Award; Videographer Award of Excellence; The Jade Award of Excellence; Columbia International Film & Video Festival Award; Chris Award; among others. For more than 15 years, Garrett has owned Image Studios, Inc. (ISI), a production house in Bethesda, Maryland. Under his direction, Image Studios has produced a variety of compelling stories from an hour long docu-drama on AIDS to a ten part series on cutting edge advances in scientific research for international release. In addition, ISI has created PSAs and spots for broadcast on Fox, ABC, CBS and cable affiliates in the U.S. and abroad. Crews have filmed on location in all parts of the world to include Africa; the Philippines; Pakistan, Southeast Asia, throughout Europe, Central America, South America, Canada and the U.S. Garrett has traveled extensively to South America as a director and to document one of his personal interests — the surviving cultures of its indigenous peoples. He captured a variety of traditional medicine practices during several visits to include the Qetchua Indians in Ecuador; the remotely located Guarani in Bolivia and the Ayumara Indians surviving above LaPaz in the El Alto region; and he filmed the culture of the people in the Altiplano. www.imagestudiosproductions.com
Cinematographer
Erin Harvey
Erin is well recognized for his cinematography work with National Geographic, to include Explorer, Ultimate Explorer and Channel-Asia, as well as PBS. Erin has established himself as a documentary filmmaker with a unique and creative vision. He shot two award-winning PBS documentaries, Harold Hitchcock: Life in Light and Ramadhan in Indonesia, each won the coveted Golden Cine Eagle Award. As Producer / Cinematographer / Editor for National Geographic Explorer, Erin took his work from start to finish filming the fireboats of Venice in Venice Burning; chasing cheetahs in Botswana and Namibia in Cheetah Chase; and filming tigers from the back of an elephant in India in Tiger's Eye. As a Cinematographer who's at home scouring jungles and islands in Belize (Snake Wranglers — Boa Episode) to following snakes or trekking deep into Bolivia's Madidi rain forest (Madidi), Erin was a welcome addition to the Quest for Paititi crew.
Project participants
Project Partner
Jean-Christophe Vanderhaegen
Jean-Christophe is an attorney from Belgium who is co-founder there of the "Centro Europeo de Información y Promoción para América Latina" (CEIPAL). Mr. Vanderhaegen is a long-time student of Incan and Andean history and was instrumental in the acquisition of and analysis of satellite photography of the exploration zones. He is a member of the ACEA.
Scientific Advisor
Prof. Daniel Gade
Professor Gade is Professor Emeritus of Geography at the University of Vermont with a formidable writing history on the cultural, historical geography, and ecology of the Andes. Author of Man and Culture in the Andes, Professor Gade integrates the imagination of an expert geographer with the research skills of a natural and cultural historian. He is also a member of the ACEA. More about Daniel Gade… And even more…
Project Participant
Fernando Neuenschwander
Fernando Neuenschwander, son of Peru's foremost Andean explorer, the now deceased Dr. Carlos Neuenschwander of Arequipa. Fernando joined the exploration team on a couple of its journeys and continues to be a vital part of the project's mission. He is also a member of the ACEA.
Daily life in the Pantiacolla
Field Journal
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The 2004 Expedition Team was built from the same experienced, well-skilled, and dedicated group of explorers who began this journey twenty years ago, and a few new faces. The success of this year's expedition came from blending the best of traditional methods with useful, high-end technology. The crew applied the wisdom of the team's indigenous hosts to traverse unfamiliar territory and relied on mule power to carry a bounty of supplies and environmental gear over Peru's perilous mountain terrain. GPS technology guided their every move and documented the exact location of every discovery.
Producer Garrett Strang used an Iridium satellite Motorola 9505 phone to report important milestones along the way. While there were days of thickened cloud forest cover that kept signals from reaching the U.S., the field journal notes were scribed each day. Check out The Field Journal to see the mix of all these elements come into play as you read through the actual notes taken at the end of a hard day's journey (see The Quest). The objectives of this journal are to allow you to share in this historical expedition and to experience daily life in the remote jungles of the Pantiacolla region of Peru. You'll also get personal insights first hand from team members; the wisdom of the machiguenga guides; and the impending dangers that are an inherent part of this mysterious jungle.
The team came home with more than Incan discoveries, they brought back a wealth of new data to include: plants and flora and plenty of natural sightings; GPS coordinates which mean new areas will be charted on Peru's maps; and a detailed account of the environmental and physical challenges in the Pantiacolla region.
From the expeditions
Photo Gallery
Images from the field — the cloud forest, the ruins, the rock art, and the team. Managed from the admin area.
From the project
News & updates
Announcements, new findings, publications, talks, and screenings from the Quest for Paititi.
Further reading & viewing
Resources
Books & writing
Articles & reviews
Film & media
Expedition records
With gratitude
Sponsors
2004 Expedition Sponsor
Eastern Mountain Sports
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