Vessel in Tiahuanaco style - Height 12 cm - Place of discovery: Pukará de Quitor (province Antofagasta) - Museum San Pedro de Atacama - Chile - 1976

The two large salt flats of the Bolivian Altiplano, the Salares of Coipasa (pictured) and Uyuni, are the remnants of a vast Ice Age freshwater lake, Lago Minchin. Due to low rainfall, the absence of tributaries and the extreme dryness of the air, the former freshwater lakes have evaporated into shallow lagoons and salt flats, their shores lined with deposits of common salt. Cut into blocks, the snow-white salt – considered to be of exceptional purity – is transported by lorry to the areas where it is used. - Book: Picture 159 - Chile - 1976

Penitential snow is a phenomenon associated with the high mountains of the subtropical and tropical dry zones of the Old and New Worlds. Snow cover that has formed during the wet season is subject to selective melting processes during sunny summer and autumn weather; these are governed by irregularities on the original snow surface and sculpt out closely spaced yet completely isolated firn spikes, which resemble a procession of figures in white penitential robes (penitentes). The photograph was taken at an altitude of 4,900 metres on the Huaitiquina Pass, which leads from Salta (Argentina) to San Pedro de Atacama (Chile). - Book: Picture 8 - Chile - 1975

The Chilean Puna de Atacama, situated between San Pedro de Atacama and the Tatio geysers, is a monotonous high plateau formed from rhyolitic lava. The bitter cold of the night covers the small streams of the Puna with a thin layer of ice, which had not yet melted in the early morning when the photograph was taken. - Book: Picture 160 - Chile - 1976

At the Salar de Ascotán in northern Chile. It is situated in the Antofagasta Region at an extreme altitude of around 3,716 metres above sea level – nestled within the breathtaking scenery of the Altiplano. The vegetation differs drastically from that of the surrounding desert. Whilst the surrounding area is dominated by shrubs, special perennial grasses and herbs grow right on the edge of the salar. The volcano in the background is (presumably) San Pedro (6,145 m). – Chile – 1976

Laguna Lejía lies at an extreme altitude of around 4,350 metres in the Puna de Atacama. You can see flamingos foraging in the lake. In the background are several volcanoes, including the Chiliques (5,778 m). It is an important mountain sanctuary for the local population, featuring a series of prehistoric ritual and logistical sites, some of which are estimated to be over a thousand years old. At its summit lies a 15th-century Inca ritual site. – Chile – 1975

Alero de Taira, some 75 kilometres north-east of the city of Calama, is a world-famous archaeological site in northern Chile, renowned for its exceptional rock art. It is regarded as one of the most important centres of pre-Columbian art in South America. The main feature consists of intricate engravings and paintings estimated to be between 2,000 and 2,800 years old. These are highly detailed depictions of llamas, often accompanied by herders. – The striking, pointed snow-capped peak on the far left in the background is Volcán San Pedro (6,145 m). Right next to it (to the right of it in the picture) is its twin volcano, Volcán San Pablo (6,092 m). These two majestic volcanoes form an unmistakable twin-peaked massif in the Atacama region. – Chile – 1976

The Taira Valley in the upper reaches of the Río Loa in northern Chile. The waters of the Río Loa flow through the deeply incised canyon, creating a narrow, green oasis of vegetation amidst the otherwise extremely inhospitable, arid desert landscape. Striking volcanoes, such as the nearby San Pedro, rise up in the background. The canyon is world-famous for its archaeological site, in particular the Taira rock shelter (Alero). It is home to some of the most complex rock paintings and petroglyphs in South America. The fine lines mainly depict llamas and served as a ritual plea to the gods by indigenous herders of the Atacameño culture for the fertility of their herds. – Chile – 1976

Rock paintings at Taira on the Río Loa in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile. These engraved and painted depictions of llamas are attributed to the Neolithic Atacameños. - Book: Picture 41 - Chile - 1976

The Quebrada Talabre in the Antofagasta region of Chile, with the Láscar volcano visible in the background. In the barren gorge, the traditional terraced fields, planted with greenery, and the stone enclosures – which were supplied with water via irrigation channels from the river – are clearly visible. In the same area lies the Quebrada Kezala, famous for its open-air museum featuring around 200 ancient rock engravings. – Chile – 1976

The Quebrada de Jerez (also known as the Quebrada de Jere), an impressive rocky gorge with a small river running through it, is situated near the oasis village of Toconao in the Chilean Atacama Desert, not far from San Pedro de Atacama. In this arid desert region, the flowing waters of the Rio Toconao create a green valley that allows fruit and other plants to be grown. The deeply incised gorge consists of striking, reddish volcanic and rock formations. – Chile – 1976

The Pukará de Lasana is a pre-Columbian residential and refuge fortress built by the Atacameños in the 12th century. The ruins of these impressive stone structures stretch along the cliffs directly above the lush green valley floor of the Río Loa (in the middle ground). The combination of the barren canyon walls, the agricultural terraces (andenes) in the valley and the Andean peaks in the background makes this site a unique cultural monument in northern Chile. The twin volcanoes of San Pedro (6,145 metres) and, right next to it, San Pablo (6,092 metres) dominate the horizon. A little further east lie the peaks of Cerro Paniri (5,960 m) and the Cerros de Tocorpuri volcanic complex. – Chile – 1976

Pucará de Lasana, an abandoned Atacameño village on the Río Loa in the Atacama Desert, Chile. The Atacameños practised terraced farming with artificial irrigation and built their dwellings close together so as not to waste the barren arable land. - Book: Picture 53 - Chile - 1976

As a high-altitude, cold desert, the Puna de Atacama is one of the most inhospitable regions on Earth. Bare rock and sand, lava flows and volcanoes characterise this forbidding yet impressive landscape. - Book: Picture 161 - Chile - 1976

The photograph shows a section of the old, unpaved tracks on the plateau east of Calama, between the famous oasis of San Pedro de Atacama and the historic Atacameño village of San Francisco de Chiu Chiu, which was a strategically important stop on the Inca Trail (Camino del Inca), as the river, with its flowing water, represents one of the few lifelines in the midst of the utterly inhospitable, grey Atacama Desert. – Chile – 1976

To the east of the oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama, the striking Licancabur volcano (5,916 m) rises on the border between Chile and Bolivia in the Atacama Desert. At its summit lies one of the highest crater lakes in the world. Historical ruins also bear witness to the fact that the volcano was a sacred site for the Incas. To the right of Licancabur, the slightly lower Juriques volcano can be seen. – Chile – 1976

Evening atmosphere over the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. The valley lies about 13 kilometres west of San Pedro de Atacama and forms part of the Los Flamencos National Reserve. The scene is characterised by sculptural formations of sand and salt rock, shaped by erosion and reminiscent of a lunar landscape. The Licancabur volcano can be seen in the background. – Chile – 1976

The Río San Pedro de Inacaliri (often simply called the Río San Pedro) has carved this canyon into the high plateau of the Chilean Puna. The striking, block-like cliffs consist of thick ignimbrite deposits (volcanic pyroclastic flow sediments). In the background rises the Palpana volcano. It is a massive stratovolcano, approximately 6,040 metres high, in the Chilean Andes near the border with Bolivia. – Chile – 1976

The Valle de Marte (also known as the Valle de la Muerte, or Valley of Death, or Mars Valley) near San Pedro de Atacama in the Chilean Atacama Desert. The valley is characterised by rugged, reddish rock formations of the Cordillera de la Sal, deep gorges, sandy slopes and structures heavily shaped by wind and tectonic activity. In the background lies the barren desert landscape with the striking volcanic cones of the Andes, some of which are snow-capped. On the right is the dominant, almost perfectly conical stratovolcano Licancabur (5,916 metres high). It lies exactly on the geographical border between Chile and Bolivia. Immediately to its right is the slightly lower neighbouring volcano, Juriques (5,704 metres). In the centre are the Cerros de Tocorpuri and, on the far left, the San Pedro volcano. – Chile – 1976

Snuff set - Origin: Quitor - Museum San Pedro de Atacama (province Antofagasta) - Chile - 1976

Tablet male - Origin: Coyo Oriental - Museum San Pedro de Atacama (Province of Antofagasta) - Chile - 1976

Handle of a snuff box from the Atacameños (found at Coyo Oriental), made of carved black wood with shell inlays (width at top: 7 cm). Formally, the depiction is reminiscent of the central figure of the Sun Gate at Tiahuanaco (cf. Figure 124). Museo San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. - Book: Picture 78 - Chile - 1976

Tablet female - Origin: Quitor - Museo San Pedro de Atacama (Provincia Antofagasta) - Chile - 1976

Arrowheads - in natural glass or meteorite showers - Neolithic period - Origin: Sequitor Alambrado, San Pedro de Atacama - Museum San Pedro de Atacama - Chile - 1976

Anthropomorphic jug from the Second Phase of the Atacama culture (height 19 cm) in the characteristic black pottery. Museo San Pedro de Atacama, Chile - Book: Picture 54 - Chile - 1976

Abstract anthropomorphic bottle - Second phase of the Atacameña culture - Height 18,5 cm - Museum San Pedro de Atacama (Antofagasta province) - Chile - 1976

Two anthropomorphic bottles, naturalistic left 19 cm, abstract right 18,5 cm - Second phase of the Atacameña culture - Museum San Pedro de Atacama (Antofagasta province) - Chile - 1976

Vessel Incisa - diameter 18,5 cm - Atacameña culture, last period of the second phase - Museum San Pedro de Atacama (Antofagasta province) - Chile - 1976

Carob wood duck - length 18 cm - Atacameña culture - Origin: Quitor - Museum San Pedro de Atacama (province Antofagasta) - Chile - 1976

Basket with figure with axe and 3 javelins - diameter 35 cm - Atacameña culture second phase - Museum San Pedro de Atacama (Antofagasta province) - Chile - 1976

Detail of a basket with figure with axe and 3 throwing spears - diameter 35 cm - Atacameña culture second phase - Museum San Pedro de Atacama (Antofagasta province) - Chile - 1976

Skull with a headband from an Atacameño grave of the Second Phase at the Quitor 6 site in the Atacama Desert. The grave contained only the skull, without the rest of the skeleton. Such ritual skull burials have not yet been recorded at any other site in South America. Museo San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. - Book: Picture 55 - Chile - 1976

Female skull with hair band - Atacameña culture second phase - Origin: Coyo Oriental - Museum San Pedro de Atacama - Chile - 1976

Skull of a child - Second phase of the Atacameña culture - Origin: Quitor (province of Antofagasta) - Museo San Pedro de Atacama - Chile - 1976

Mummy of a young woman - Second phase of the Atacameña culture - 300 BC - Origin: Solor - Museum San Pedro de Atacama - Chile - 1976

Skull of a man with Bonnet-Turban - with a blanket with geometrical figures - Atacameña culture second phase - Origin: Coyo Oriental - Museum San Pedro de Atacama - Chile - 1976

Mummy of a woman with child - Atacameña culture second phase - blanket with borders - volcanic rock and turquoise necklace - Origin: Sequitor Alambrado - Museum San Pedro de Atacama - Chile - 1976

Typical landscape along the unpaved gravel road linking the oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama with the El Tatio geysers in northern Chile. This route takes you to an extreme altitude of over 4,000 metres. Vegetation is almost entirely non-existent due to the extreme aridity of the Atacama Desert and the cold. In the background, you can see the volcanic Andean Cordillera, which stretches along the Chilean-Bolivian border, including the striking, partly still active Putana volcano (5,890 m), which rises directly behind the El Tatio geyser field. Cerro Tatio (5,208 m) gives the region its name. In the ancient Kunza language, the word means ‘The Weeping Grandfather’. Or the mighty Tocorpuri volcanic complex (5,808 m) right on the border, whose slopes you pass by whilst driving. – Chile – 1976

In the vicinity of the world-famous El Tatio geyser field in the Chilean Andes. The typical mineral crusts and outflows resulting from geothermal activity can be seen, set against the backdrop of the cold, barren Altiplano plateau, which is surrounded by volcanoes and mountains. – Chile – 1976

The El Tatio geyser field in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, situated at an altitude of around 4,200 metres. It is one of the highest geyser fields in the world. Activity is at its peak in the early morning (between 6.00 and 8.00 am), as this is when the temperature differences are greatest and the steam from the geysers rises most vigorously. The volcano in the background is the dormant stratovolcano Tatio (5,198 m). It lies directly on the border between Chile and Bolivia and forms part of the larger Tocorpuri volcanic complex. The name Tatio comes from the ancient Kunza language (Tata-iu) and translates as ‘the weeping grandfather’. It refers to the shape of the mountain range, which, from a distance, resembles the profile of an elderly man lying down. – Chile – 1976

An active geyser with a large fountain of steam in the El Tatio geothermal area in the Chilean Andes, at an altitude of around 4,280 metres in the Antofagasta Region. The best time to visit is early in the morning, when the fountains and steam are particularly impressive in the cold early-morning temperatures. – Chile – 1976

The rhyolite lava flows in the Chilean Puna de Atacama are associated with major tectonic fault lines striking in a north-south direction. The Tatio geysers, whose hot water vapour condenses in the cold high-altitude air, provide evidence that magmatic flow is present at shallow depths. It is rainwater that has seeped into the ground, heated up at depth and, due to the resulting pressure, is ejected either continuously or at regular intervals. - Book: Picture 162 - Chile - 1976

The impressive El Tatio geyser field is one of the highest and largest in the world, featuring numerous hot springs, fumaroles and rising columns of steam. Due to the extreme altitude (4,280 m) and the cold mountain air, the temperature difference between the hot water and the surrounding environment is particularly evident in the large clouds of steam in the morning. – Chile – 1976

The photograph shows the El Tatio geothermal field in the Andes in northern Chile, which lies at an altitude of around 4,280 metres and is one of the highest in the world. It is situated approximately 80 km north of San Pedro de Atacama. Over 80 active geysers spout large clouds of steam into the cold desert air, particularly in the early hours of the morning. – Chile – 1976

The Río Salado in the Antofagasta region of Chile, in the heart of the Atacama Desert. The river rises near the famous geothermal springs of El Tatio at an altitude of over 4,200 metres. As it flows, it feeds green wetlands (Vegas) and carves deep into the canyons of volcanic rock. It eventually flows westwards and joins the Río Loa as a major tributary. – Chile – 1976

The Chilean Exploration Company, a subsidiary of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, had been operating the copper mines at Chuquicamata since 1905. Together with the Braden Copper Company and Anden Copper Mining, these three North American companies controlled 95 per cent of copper mining. As copper was the country’s most important source of foreign exchange, the nationalisation of the copper mines became one of the most important political tasks. In 1971, Salvador Allende nationalised the copper industry, a measure that even the military junta was unable to reverse following its coup. - Book: Picture 171 - Chile - 1976

The copper mines of Chuquicamata, situated at 2,800 metres in the Puna de Atacama. The reserves of copper ore in this, the world’s largest open-cast copper mine, are estimated at around one billion tonnes. - Book: Picture 169 - Chile - 1976

Chuquicamata is the world’s largest open-cast copper mine and is situated in the heart of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. The mine’s enormous pit is more than 4 kilometres long, 3 kilometres wide and over 1,000 metres deep. – The photograph shows the extracted ore being smelted at extremely high temperatures and processed into pure copper at the adjacent Chuquicamata copper smelter (Fundición). – Chile – 1976

The huge copper smelter and industrial facilities at the Chuquicamata copper mine in the Chilean Atacama Desert. In the foreground, settling ponds (thickening tanks) and extensive processing areas can be seen, whilst in the background, smoking chimneys and the barren slopes of the desert mountains rise up. Chuquicamata (often called ‘Chuqui’) belongs to the Chilean state-owned mining company Codelco and has shaped global copper production for over a century. – Chile – 1976

An indigenous woman from the region around San Pedro de Atacama in northern Chile. She is wearing the wide-brimmed straw hat (sombrero de paja) typical of the Andean region, which serves as essential protection from the sun in the Atacama Desert – the driest place on earth. Her deep wrinkles and dark complexion reflect the extremely harsh climate, the intense sunlight and the harsh aridity of the Chilean highlands. – Chile – 1976

Cactus spines used as knitting needles. Atacama Desert, Chile. - Book: Picture 138 - Chile - 1976

The photograph shows a vast, arid plain with sparse desert vegetation and a barren mountain range in the background, across which a freight train is travelling in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. – South of Copiapó – Chile – 1975

With a population of three million (1977), Santiago de Chile is one of the five largest cities in South America. It lies at the foot of the Andes and is traversed by the River Mapocho. Founded in 1541 by Pedro de Valdivia on the Cerro de Santa Lucía, the city initially spread out around this hill. The centre remains the Plaza de Armas (above), where the cathedral – which has been destroyed several times – the bishop’s palace, the post office and arcades lined with shops are situated. Although the Spanish colonial grid layout still predominates, only a few old buildings have survived due to various major fires and earthquakes. More than half of the country’s economic activity is concentrated in and around Santiago; with its universities and technical college, its significance extends far beyond Chile. - Book: Picture 163 - Chile - 1976

The vast, green farmlands of Chile’s Central Valley, lined with the characteristic rows of poplars (álamos) and pasture fences, provide the perfect backdrop for the 3,242-metre-high Longaví volcano. – Chile – 1975

The photograph shows the snow-capped Volcán Osorno in the Los Lagos region of southern Chile, rising in the background behind a green pasture with grazing cows and trees. It is a striking stratovolcano with an almost perfectly symmetrical conical shape, which is often reminiscent of Mount Fuji in Japan. – Chile – 1975

The 2,661-metre-high volcanic cone of Osorno rises above the clear waters of Lake Llanquihue in ‘Chilean Switzerland’. In terms of its shape and location, this most beautiful of the Andean volcanoes is reminiscent of Mount Fuji. Ancient lava flows have separated Lake Llanquihue from Lake Todos los Santos, which is also known as Lake Esmeralda due to its emerald-green colour. - Book: Picture 199 - Chile - 1975

The Villarrica volcano is Chile’s most active and dangerous volcano. It is situated in the southern part of the country, around 750 kilometres south of Santiago de Chile. It is a classic stratovolcano with a characteristic, almost perfectly symmetrical conical shape and stands 2,847 metres high. It is one of only about eight volcanoes worldwide that harbour an open, permanently active lava lake within its crater. Despite its activity, around 40 square kilometres of the mountain’s summit are covered by glaciers and perpetual snow. – Chile – 1975

The Villarrica is a 2,847 m high active volcano in Chile, which lies on the border of the Araucanía and Los Ríos regions. To the north of the volcano are the town of Pucón and Lake Villarrica. - 1973

An Araucanian woman wearing the characteristic silver jewellery from the Temuco region, Cautín Province, Chile. Following the conquest of the Chilean territories by Pedro de Valdivia around 1550, the warlike Araucanians had led all uprisings against foreign rule, and under their leader Lautaro, the Indigenous armies even marched on the capital after liberating the southern territories. The attack was repelled, but the heartland of the Araucanians remained de facto independent until around 1800. - Book: Picture 194 - Chile - 1973

An Araucanian woman wearing the characteristic silver headdress whilst weaving. Temuco region, Cautín Province, Chile. - Book: Picture 140 - Chile - 1973

From the Argentine city of Salta, an old mule track – now a poorly maintained track – leads over the Huaitiquina Pass to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. In the past, herds of cattle were driven over this pass to supply the Chilean port city of Antofagasta with Argentine beef. When the dreaded Viento Blanco – the ‘white wind’ – blows, the plateau, situated at an altitude of 5,000 metres, is covered within a few hours by a metre-thick blanket of snow, and it was not uncommon for people and animals to perish in such ‘blizzards’. This is evidenced by the sun-bleached cattle skeletons in this desolate wasteland with its salt lakes, dominated by the towering cone of the Lascar volcano. - Book: Picture 157 - Argentina - 1975

Laguna Amarga (meaning ‘Bitter Lagoon’ in English), surrounded by the typical Patagonian steppe landscape with reddish ground cover and low shrubs in the foreground. The name derives from the bitter taste of the water. As it is a landlocked body of water, the water evaporates continuously. As a result, the dissolved salts and minerals from the subsoil become extremely concentrated, giving the water a very high pH value. The lake is one of the most famous vantage points in Torres del Paine National Park, as on clear, windless days the three famous granite spires are perfectly reflected on the water’s surface. – Chile – 1975

The massive granodiorite batholith of the Southern Andes is dominated in the Chilean province of Magallanes by the Cordillera del Paine (2,460 m), which extends into Argentine territory. The towering rock spires, the Torres del Paine, consist of remnants of Cretaceous overlying strata that once covered the intrusive body that had risen from the depths. Contact metamorphism has greatly hardened the rock, making it particularly resistant to erosion. In the foreground is Laguna Amarga. The photograph was taken during the southern summer, on 10 January at 11 pm. - Book: Picture 5 - Argentina - 1975

The area surrounding the magnificent massifs, pinnacles and towers of the Cordillera del Paine has been a protected nature reserve for some time. The national park is one of the last refuges for guanacos still living in the wild. - Book: Picture 208 - Argentina - 1975

The area surrounding the magnificent massifs, pinnacles and towers of the Cordillera del Paine has been a protected nature reserve for some time. The small mountain lakes in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, such as Lago Nordenskjöld, owe their formation to the erosive action of Ice Age glaciers. - Book: Picture 207 - Argentina - 1975

A vast steppe with low vegetation (such as matahambre shrubs) tinged with autumnal red in the foreground, and the striking Cordillera del Paine mountain range with its snow-capped peaks in the background. We are in the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. The turquoise lake is Lago Nordenskjöld, named after the Swedish geologist and polar explorer Otto Nordenskjöld, who conducted scientific research in the region at the end of the 19th century. – Chile – 1975

In southern Patagonia, and particularly in Tierra del Fuego and southern Chile, the climate and vegetation allow only sheep farming. The flocks graze scattered across thousands of hectares of stony wasteland. They are rounded up for just three occasions: disinfection baths, shearing and the slaughterhouse. But then the ovejeros, the shepherd gauchos, are often on the move for days on end with their powerful dogs, keeping in contact with one another via bonfires and smoke signals. – Torres del Paine National Park – Chile – 1975

Set against the backdrop of the Darwin Range in Chilean Tierra del Fuego, which rises to a height of 2,300 metres, a large valley glacier flows into the Admiralty Fjord. Two central moraines, formed by the confluence of tributary glaciers, appear as dark stripes. Icebergs drift from the pack ice field in front of the calving glacier tongue into the fjord, which flows into the Strait of Magellan. - Book: Picture 10 - Argentina - 1975

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