Ica Stones
The Ica Stones are a collection of andesite stones found in Ica Province, Peru, many of which are engraved with a wide variety of images—including humans coexisting with dinosaurs, advanced surgical procedures, astronomical knowledge, and maps of lost continents. The stones have been a subject of global intrigue and intense controversy since their popularization in the 1960s. While mainstream archaeologists largely consider them to be hoaxes, many alternative researchers and biblical creationists believe they may offer powerful evidence of a lost chapter in human history, possibly supporting the view that humans and dinosaurs lived contemporaneously.
Quick Facts
| Location Found: | Ica, Peru |
| Discovery Date: | 1960's |
| Current Location: | Ica Stones Museum |
| Authenticity: | Unknown |
| Open to the Public: | Yes |
Description The Ica Stones range in size from a few centimeters to over 30 centimeters and are typically made from andesite, a hard volcanic rock. The carvings vary in complexity, with some depicting simple animals or geometric patterns, while others show humans interacting with what appear to be dinosaurs such as stegosaurs, triceratops, and pterosaurs.
Other stones show highly advanced scenes, including:
Open heart surgeries and brain transplants
Telescope use and star charts
Advanced technological instruments
Global maps including Atlantis-like landmasses
The engravings are typically etched into the surface, with oxidization appearing in the grooves—an argument used by some to suggest significant age.
History of Discovery The stones first gained public attention in the 1960s through Dr. Javier Cabrera Darquea, a respected Peruvian physician and professor. Cabrera began collecting the stones after receiving one as a birthday gift, eventually amassing over 11,000 stones in his private museum, the Museo de Piedras Grabadas de Ica.
Cabrera was convinced that the stones represented the record of an ancient advanced civilization, possibly wiped out by global cataclysm. He proposed that these people lived alongside dinosaurs and possessed technological knowledge that far surpassed their supposed era. Cabrera’s views aligned with creationist models which propose that the Earth is young and that dinosaurs lived alongside humans before and even after the global Flood described in Genesis.
Controversy and Authenticity Mainstream archaeologists have widely dismissed the Ica Stones as hoaxes, primarily based on confessions by local farmers who admitted to carving and selling the stones to tourists. In particular, a farmer named Basilio Uchuya claimed in the 1970s that he had fabricated many of the stones to meet demand from collectors.
The Farmers' Confession: Hoax or Cover-Up? One of the most commonly cited reasons for dismissing the Ica Stones as fraudulent stems from confessions made by local Peruvian farmers, most notably Basilio Uchuya. In the 1970s, under pressure from Peruvian authorities who were cracking down on the illegal sale of antiquities, Uchuya publicly admitted that he had fabricated some of the engraved stones and sold them to tourists and collectors.
He claimed that he and his wife used a dentist’s drill and simple tools to carve the images into local river stones and then artificially aged them by baking or burying them in chicken dung to accelerate oxidation and give the appearance of antiquity. His confession was picked up by various news outlets and has since been used to label the entire Ica Stones collection as a modern hoax.
However, this confession has been challenged on several fronts—particularly by Dr. Javier Cabrera Darquea and others who maintained that many of the stones predate any modern forgeries and show signs of authentic age and detail beyond the capabilities or knowledge of local farmers.
Points of Controversy and Doubt From a creationist or alternative historical perspective, several key issues are raised concerning the confession:
Contradictory Statements: Basilio Uchuya reportedly gave conflicting statements over the years. In some interviews, he claimed he made the stones himself, while in others, he said he had found or collected them. His changing story has led some to question the reliability of his confession altogether.
Legal Pressure and Motivation: It is important to note that Peruvian law prohibits the unauthorized excavation and sale of archaeological artifacts. Admitting that the stones were ancient could have subjected Uchuya and others to prosecution. Claiming they were modern creations allowed him to avoid legal trouble. Some researchers believe the confession was motivated by fear of arrest, rather than truth.
Skill and Knowledge: Skeptics of the hoax theory question how untrained villagers with little formal education could consistently depict anatomically accurate dinosaurs, perform accurate surgical imagery, or represent celestial alignments and maps unknown to the local culture. If Uchuya truly fabricated thousands of these stones, where did he acquire such precise and advanced knowledge?
Volume and Consistency: Dr. Cabrera collected over 11,000 stones, many of which display consistent themes and styles. The scale of such an operation would have required a coordinated and sustained effort over many years—something difficult to imagine for a small group of farmers, especially in an era with limited access to scientific literature or anatomical knowledge.
Oxidation and Surface Patina: Scientific examination of some stones has shown that the engravings display signs of oxidation and mineral deposition within the grooves, suggesting that at least some of the stones are genuinely old and not recently carved.
From a biblical worldview, the stones are interpreted as physical evidence that undermines evolutionary timelines. If humans truly lived alongside dinosaurs—as the stones seem to depict—this would directly contradict the standard scientific view that dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years before humans appeared. Creationists believe the stones support the literal interpretation of Genesis, where humans and all land animals, including dinosaurs, were created on Day 6.
Current Status Dr. Cabrera passed away in 2001, but his museum still houses thousands of Ica Stones and remains open to the public. While the academic community continues to reject the stones as modern forgeries, they remain a topic of fascination for creationists, ancient history enthusiasts, and alternative researchers.
The Ica Stones are frequently cited in discussions surrounding OOPArts (Out-of-Place Artifacts), and they continue to provoke debate over the true timeline of human history.