Man Vandalizes 500-Year-Old Artifact in Peru, Causing 'Irreversible Damage'

BY KAREN K. HO

February 19, 2025 3:35pm



The 12 angle stone on Inca Roca's Palace in Cusco, Peru. The stone was recently damaged by a man with a hammer.
PHOTO BY LUIS ROSENDO/HERITAGE IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

A man was arrested in Peru after damaging a 500-year-old artifact known as the 12-angle-stone, Peruvian officials have announced.

The incident took place at 12:49 a.m. on February 19, when a man “apparently intoxicated and out of his mind, used a metal object to attack the stone element, causing stone fragments to fall, in six visible impacts on the emblematic stone structure,” according to a press release from Cusco’s Decentralized Directorate of Culture.

Peruvian National Police (PNP) Commander Henry Valdez, head of the Tourism Police Station, told the Andina News Agency that a 30-year-old suspect was identified as Gabriel Roysi. Police also said video of the incident was captured on nearby surveillance cameras.

The ancient stone features a perfect 12-angled border, and has become an emblematic symbol of the advanced stonework of the Incan civilization. The stone was part of a wall from the Inca Roca palace, and then used as part of the construction of the Archbishop’s Palace in the Peruvian city of Cusco. The stone has also become a popular tourist attraction.

More:
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/drunk-man-vandalizes-cusco-peru-12-angle-stone-irreversible-damage-1234732747/