A
small stone corral, some 50 years old,
used originally to contain animals and also as sleeping quarters for
some local Atacamenho herdsmen was discovered near the road from the Operations
Support Facility (9600 feet elevation) to the Array Operations Site (16500 feet
elevation). It has now been
restored as a historical site. The
site was reconstructed with the help of the local people and
with the advice of the original owners.
Figure 1 Stone and cactus corral reconstructed
by ALMA along the OSF-AOS road (background). Shoken Miyama, Director of NAOJ, examines a detail of the
reconstruction.
Figure 2 Dwelling for herdsman at the reconstructed corral. The interpretive monument is in the
background to the right. In the
distance is the Salar de Atacama.
Figure 3 Two other dwellings, for the corral owners, are inspected by Darby Wootten. Note that use is made of fallen cactus trunks for the construction.
The
opening ceremony for the reconstructed corral was held on July 27. This museum
was opened to preserve and interpret this typical Atacameno structure and also
the giant cactus native to this region. Eduardo Hardy, legal representative of Associated Universities,
Inc. attended the ceremony on behalf of NRAO. The governor of the second region of Chile, Marcela
Hernando, attended also, and delivered a speech.