Among the important artifacts brought forth in the 1990s as evidence of ancient contact between humans and extraterrestrials are the so-called stones of Ica, Peru. The stones, carved at some point in prehistorical (i.e., pre-Columbian) times, appear to show humans fighting dinosaurs, complex medical operations on the human body, and various long-extinct animal species.
The stones were first discovered by Dr. Javier Cabrera in 1966 when as a young physician residing in Ica, he was given one of the stones as a gift. He became interested as he discerned that the stone pictured a long-extinct fish. Over time he discovered more of the stones, all carved from andesite, an extremely hard stone rarely chosen for carvings. Over the next 25 years, Cabrera collected more that 15,000 of the stones, which he now displays in a modest museum. In the process of collecting the stones, he uncovered a cave in which many thousands have been found.
Cabrera initially reached the conclusion that the stones had been carved by local people to feed the tourist trade. However, their number and the difficulty of working andesite soon led him to question that idea. He was further convinced by the nature of the images he found, which required some technical knowledge of dinosaurs. He concluded that the stones were real ancient artifacts, that they pictured events and objects seen by those who carved them, and they suggest some rewriting of ancient history.
Skeptical voices looking at the stones have suggested that they are a hoax, at least in part, though the motivation for carving so many of the stones for no apparent financial motive (there are so many that they have little value) is not explained. It has also been suggested that some of the stones may in fact be old artifacts, but that the interpretation placed on them by Cabrera is romantic fantasy. They also point out that there is not other evidence of an ancient culture that could have carved the stones. In the meantime, books and Internet sites showing examples of the stones and arguing for their authenticity have appeared. People interested in ancient mysteries have speculated on the stones and tied them to other artifacts found in the country and tied them to ancient astronauts or to Atlantis.
The museum established by Cabrera can be contacted at Plaza de Armas, Bolivar No. 170, Ica, Peru.
Sources:
Cabrera, Javier. The Message of the Ingraved Stones of Ica. Ica, Peru: The Author, n.d.
Prickett, Robert. "Ica Stones of Peru." http://www.mm2000.nu/sphinxff.html. June 11, 2000.
Stones of Ica, Peru. http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/3378/stones.html. June 11, 2000.
