19th August
Gale force winds have been buffeting the base camp at Parabanocito, bringing large trees crashing down. One fell without warning alongside a dig, surprising the archaeologist. Thanks to the efforts of a local carpenter, coincidently named Jesus, the base camp is reasonably comfortable with benches, tables and map boards all made from local resources. The only problem is Jesus’ appetite, which is insatiable as is his thirst for coffee. JBS did not bring his infamous trumpet and thus Fiona Leslie wakes explorers in the mornings with an aria from Rossini and Verdi’s Requiem. This powerful Soprano is becoming a legend with the local Indians. "Now that we have taken a Grand Piano to the Wai Wai in Guyana we can bring Grand Opera to the Indians of Bolivia," said JBS.

Excavations on the Southern Parabanocito Fort continue with Bruce Mann and William Catellon directing work from a 25-metre meeting house. Much Inca pottery was discovered plus a mysterious stone slab in the floor which is yet to be lifted. Evidence of extensive Inca and possibly Pre Inca culture is obvious in the surrounding jungle. Natural rock outcrops contain strange man made holes and depressions, some probably for grinding corn or possibly moulds for pottery. Two much larger depressions with channels leading out suggest that they had been used for rituals.

In Amboro National Park Major Greenacres’s team is finding the going tough, cutting through impenetrable bamboo while seeking new sites. Their camp is also being disturbed by nightly visits of a bear.

The major discovery so far has been made by the team lead by Dean Emsley in La Junta area, 30 km west of Parabanocito. At an altitude of 1455 metres archaeologist Rolando Marulanda found a series of natural platforms forming a sanctuary with a single entrance. The ground was littered with broken pottery and a few human bones. Remains of funerary urns and ovens, possibly for making bronze tools and weapons were also discovered. "I believe initially this place was a reburial cemetery to which urns containing only the longer bones of dead people, but not skulls, were brought for ritual second burial" said Rolando Marulanda, who works with the Samaipata Museum. "I think it is likely that this site was used from 400 to 1200 A.D by three different cultures; Andean, Amazonas, and Chaco at different periods. At first it was probably a Pre-Inca Ceremonial centre and it later became a well-defended settlement and finally a military base. I know of only one other site with these characteristics. It is a great importance for the understanding of the early history of this region, " he stated. Later the team found an enormous sand stone cavern whose roof was approximately 50 meters high. Rock falls have obscured any evidence of human occupation.

The expedition continues to follow up information from local people in its quest for sites along the Eastern frontier of the Inca Empire.