AIC's 44th Annual Meeting

The Niño Phenomenon is considered one of the most destructive natural disasters around the world that directly affects the northern coast of Perú. The events of 1983 and 1998-1998 have seriously affected the physical structures of rock art and this damage is irreversible. Since the colony until present times there have been around 33 Niños, recorded since 1,100 b.C until 1997-1998; therefore, influencing and transforming the cultural process of ancient inhabitants (Native and Spanish records referred to the catastrophic rains of 1578 in Trujillo and Zaña). This information evidences the destruction that the Niño caused in the cultural heritage, specially in rock art due to their permanent contact with the environment plus the damage produced by humans who use the rocks with great cultural value as protection to river overflows. There is very little interest of public institutions and cultural-archeological organizations for the preservation of rock art. This high cultural value is not really understood as cultural heritage of mankind. For its preservation it is necessary to formulate a management plan for the preservation, protection and administration of rock art in its different varieties that may lead to control the environmental effects caused by physical, chemical and biological factors and lessen the damaged caused by man and the weather. The present conditions of rock art makes it necessary the creation of preventive conservation programs of global and integral character of short and long term goals applying policies of conservation and cultural development using contemporary technological tools as well as multidisciplinary policies of sustainable development that promote economy through tourism without harming the rock art sites with the commitment of national and international organisms for its execution.