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.

For more information, please see the new book 'Huellas en el desierto' Descarga libro sobre el patrimonio cultural en la zona del proyecto ALMA at www.nrao.cl