The APAR Code of Ethics to Visits Archaeological Sites with Rock Art Print
Written by Asociación Peruana de Arte Rupestre (APAR)   
Tuesday, 17 November 2009 12:37

Premises

The Rock Art is an archaeological object and therefore a national monument. This means that that the rock art is protected by Peruvian laws of the cultural and archaeological patrimony.

The Rock Art is a cultural heritage of the past. There are four kinds of rock art in Peru: Rock paintings, Petroglyphs, Mobiliary Rock Art, and Geoglyphs.

The rock art includes the following features: The figuration image (made by paint, percussion, or other techniques), the support (the rock, the rock outcrop, land floor) and the landscape environment. As a whole these features configure the archaeological rock art site.

All the Peruvians have the right and the duty to appreciate, protect and study the national rock art having in mind the following aspects:

Ethical behavior

1. Always communicate the entry to the sites that are under supervision, of the state (National Culture Institute – INC for example), or individual (Peasant Community, associations, etc.) If internal procedures of visits exist, follow this regulation and fulfill its stipulated requirements.

2. Understand consciously being in a place that is an old art repository, a place with exposed relics. Therefore an appropriate behavior to this situation is required.

3. Always observe the rock art from a prudential distance.

4. Never interfere physically the rock art in no way. It must never be touch, paint, scrape, make wet, scale, etc.

5. Never alter in no way the surroundings environment in which the rock art are included. Never remove the ground, make bonfires, campings, constructions, etc., in zones close to the rock art sites.

6. Never collect or pick it up form the floor any cultural material associated to the rock art sites, are this ceramic, lithic, bone, or any other similar material. This recommendation also includes botanical samples also (plants and/or trees,) and mineral samples and fossils.

7. Never leave in the area nothing strange to the environment and the rock art site, this includes offerings, payments, coins; garbage, etc.

8. Always remember that any damage to the rock art, being national patrimony, constitutes a crime against our cultural heritage that is subject to penalties