The Joe Rogan Experience

#2449 - Raul Bilecky

February 5, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • Extensive, undocumented megalithic sites in Peru are being severely looted, with grave robbers ( 
  • ) destroying human remains and artifacts for private collectors. 
  • Conventional archaeology's narrative regarding Peruvian megalithic architecture (like Machu Picchu and Vinaque) is challenged by evidence of much older, precision-cut stonework buried beneath later constructions. 
  • The authenticity and origin of elongated skulls found in Peru are highly debated, with some specialists suggesting they represent a separate, non-human branch of the species, while others point to sophisticated modern fabrication using authentic ancient bones. 
  • Raul Bilecky presents evidence suggesting ancient Peruvian cultures, like the Norte Chico culture (Caral), may be significantly older (up to 6,000 BCE, potentially 12,500 BCE at Huaca Prieta) and more sophisticated than conventionally accepted, featuring pre-ceramic construction like bedrock-carved pyramids and sunken circular plazas. 
  • The discovery and documentation of numerous undocumented archaeological sites in Peru, often found via Google Earth and confirmed on the ground, highlight the vast amount of unexcavated and unrecorded ancient history in the region. 
  • The conversation touches upon the destruction of historical records, specifically the Spanish burning of Khipus (Inca knotted strings), and the ongoing threats to archaeological sites from looting and agricultural expansion, emphasizing the urgency of documenting these locations before they are lost. 
  • Raul Bilecky discovered an undocumented ancient site, potentially linked to the Caral-Supe culture, using only Google Earth imagery. 
  • Archaeological sites in Peru face severe threats from land traffickers who destroy structures for agriculture and engage in looting, even threatening the lives of dedicated archaeologists. 
  • Ancient Peruvian sites like Chavín suggest the use of underground chambers and possibly hallucinogenic rituals, while sites like Saksaywaman present engineering mysteries regarding the shaping and placement of massive stones. 

Segments

Peruvian Site Looting Details
Copied to clipboard!
(00:00:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Vast, undocumented megalithic sites in Peru are being systematically looted, often over the last 20 years, turning areas into ’landfills of human remains.'
  • Summary: Looting of ancient Peruvian sites is widespread, with drone footage showing eight full kilometers of looted areas in one location. Looters scavenge for artifacts, including textiles and metallurgy, leaving behind scattered human bones and modern trash like 1980s/1990s cigarette packs and soda bottles as evidence of their activity. The money allocated for documentation is frequently pocketed by corrupt officials.
Mummy Scavenging and Artifact Trade
Copied to clipboard!
(00:02:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Looters tear apart mummies for textiles and metallurgy, leaving bones and pottery fragments scattered across the landscape.
  • Summary: Mummies are found literally torn apart, with textiles and wrappings scavenged, often in search of metallurgy or jewels on the person. Artifacts, including human remains and pottery, end up with private buyers rather than museums, as grave robbers (‘joaqueros’) sell them openly in markets.
Machu Picchu Origin Story
Copied to clipboard!
(00:06:57)
  • Key Takeaway: The discovery of seashells at 12,000 feet elevation in Machu Picchu sparked the guest’s lifelong interest in earth cataclysms and ancient history.
  • Summary: The guest’s family is from Peru, leading to childhood visits to Machu Picchu where he found seashells embedded in the walls. This discovery, at 12,000 feet above sea level, initiated his study into ancient history and changing sea levels.
Vinaque Megalithic Architecture
Copied to clipboard!
(00:08:38)
  • Key Takeaway: The Vinaque complex features precision-cut megalithic architecture extending 50 feet underground, contrasting sharply with the surface Wari construction using mud mortar.
  • Summary: Conventional archaeologists attribute surface Wari construction (small stones with mud mortar) to the site, but the deeper, highly precise megalithic architecture suggests an older, unknown builder. Natives reportedly told Spanish chroniclers that the builders of Vinaque were the same people who built Tiwanaco, despite the 1,000 km distance.
Academia Resistance to New Evidence
Copied to clipboard!
(00:14:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Mainstream academia is criticized for being willfully ignorant and pushing rigid narratives, resisting alternative archaeological evidence like that presented by Gobekli Tepe findings.
  • Summary: The mainstream academic response to disruptive evidence is often characterized as lazy or purposefully ignorant, driven by ego and the need to maintain established narratives found in textbooks. This rigid structure prevents open-mindedness, hindering the study of ancient history by dismissing heterodox thinkers.
Buried UFO and Government Secrecy
Copied to clipboard!
(00:21:51)
  • Key Takeaway: There are reports of a 40-meter-long, tic-tac-shaped metallic object buried underground, potentially a meteorite, which researchers are trying to gain access to study.
  • Summary: The discovery of a large metallic object inside an atrium, found using ground-penetrating radar, suggests a significant ancient event or artifact. The guest notes that some UFO lore suggests one such object was recovered from an archaeological dig, implying extreme antiquity.
Nazca Mummy Hoax Analysis
Copied to clipboard!
(00:28:16)
  • Key Takeaway: While many Nazca mummies are confirmed hoaxes constructed from animal and human bones, some specimens possess complex features like intact tendons and ligaments that warrant deeper scrutiny.
  • Summary: Experts analyzing the X-rays and DICOM files of the mummies have identified unnatural cuts and incisions, suggesting sophisticated assembly rather than natural origin. The evolution of the fakes—where subsequent specimens correct flaws found in earlier ones—indicates a learning process by the creators.
Elongated Skull Anomalies
Copied to clipboard!
(00:43:26)
  • Key Takeaway: The largest elongated skulls, like the one from the Chongos collection, exhibit significantly larger cranial capacity (25% more) and eye sockets than normal human skulls, suggesting they may not be solely the result of cranial binding.
  • Summary: The guest found elongated skulls lacking the sagittal suture present in normal human development, leading to speculation about a separate human branch. Some skulls show evidence of metal implants, potentially used after trepanation, and DNA testing on some specimens reportedly linked them to the Black Sea/Caspian Sea region.
Black Sea Skull Origins
Copied to clipboard!
(01:03:54)
  • Key Takeaway: DNA testing on some skulls suggested origins in the Black Sea/Caspian Sea area dating back 2,000 to 3,000 years, potentially linking to dark red-haired, light-skinned populations.
  • Summary: Some tested skulls were identified as Native American, while others originated from the Black Sea/Caspian Sea area, dating 2,000 to 3,000 years ago. This region is associated with indigenous people possessing dark red hair, light skin, and green eyes. This physical description is speculated to correspond with findings related to elongated skulls.
Caral Pyramids and Pre-Ceramic Culture
Copied to clipboard!
(01:06:34)
  • Key Takeaway: The Caral site features the oldest stone pyramids in the Americas, predating Giza by a thousand years, and belongs to a pre-ceramic culture lacking typical artifacts like pottery.
  • Summary: Caral contains eight pyramids across four valleys, with the earliest structure dating to 4000 BCE and featuring a sunken circular plaza, a recurring architectural feature. This culture is pre-ceramic, meaning no pottery artifacts were found, leading early archaeologists to overlook the site until Dr. Ruth Shady’s research in the 1980s/90s. This civilization engaged in trade, exchanging cotton grown inland for fish caught using nets made by coastal people.
Khipu Language and Spanish Destruction
Copied to clipboard!
(01:13:05)
  • Key Takeaway: The Khipu, complex knotted rope strings used by the Inca, are theorized to be a lost language system destroyed by the Spanish during conversion efforts.
  • Summary: The Khipu is believed by the speaker to be a language, but the Spanish actively burned as many as possible and killed those who could read them, resulting in lost understanding. Evidence suggests Incas presented Khipu readings to the Spanish court, demonstrating their communicative function. A Khipu was reportedly found at the 6,000-year-old Caral site, suggesting the tradition is ancient.
Puru Lin Pyramids and Coastal Erosion
Copied to clipboard!
(01:22:41)
  • Key Takeaway: The Puru Lin site features 16 platform pyramids carved directly out of bedrock near the ocean, suggesting they have been heavily inundated and eroded by millennia of tsunamis.
  • Summary: The Puru Lin site consists of 16 platform pyramids carved from bedrock, which is highly unusual for a culture potentially dating to 1800 BCE or older. Drone footage shows the structures are aligned northeast, indicating a deliberate orientation toward the summer solstice sunrise, confirming they are man-made. The proximity to the ocean means significant erosion and sand coverage have occurred, potentially hiding larger original structures.
Archaeological Threats and Documentation Urgency
Copied to clipboard!
(01:59:38)
  • Key Takeaway: The primary threats to undocumented Peruvian archaeological sites are agricultural encroachment, which paves over structures, and the general lack of official documentation, making Raul Bilecky’s independent documentation efforts crucial.
  • Summary: Agricultural expansion is actively destroying sites, with satellite imagery showing significant loss of structures over just a decade due to farming. The speaker emphasizes the need to document these sites using tools like 3D modeling before they are permanently erased, noting that many sites are completely undocumented, even by the Ministry of Culture. The speaker’s methodology involves identifying unlabeled sites via Google Earth and then visiting them to create the only existing media record.
Undocumented Site Discovery
Copied to clipboard!
(02:05:39)
  • Key Takeaway: An undocumented ancient site, showing rooms and chambers beneath rubble, was located using Google Earth and confirmed with local assistance.
  • Summary: The site appears to be in the style of the early Caral-Supe culture, dating back 3,000 to 4,000 years. Drone footage revealed underlying walls and chambers hidden beneath surface rubble, suggesting a significant, previously unknown civilization existed there. The discovery highlights the utility of Google Earth for finding unexplored archaeological features.
Archaeological Site Threats
Copied to clipboard!
(02:08:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Archaeologists face extreme danger from land traffickers who illegally seize and destroy ancient sites for agricultural purposes, sometimes resorting to violence.
  • Summary: Ruth Shady, the archaeologist responsible for discovering the oldest city in the Americas (Caral), was shot by land traffickers attempting to take over the site. These traffickers often use agriculture as a cover, with looting being a secondary benefit, and have issued death threats against those protecting the sites. The lack of adequate protection for these discoveries is likened to the Wild West.
Chavín Underground Experience
Copied to clipboard!
(02:11:42)
  • Key Takeaway: The underground tunnels at the known Chavín site, dating to around 2000 years ago, induce a physical and psychological effect on visitors even when sober.
  • Summary: The air quality deep within the Chavín tunnels is described as different, causing visitors to feel lighter and slightly disoriented, possibly due to low oxygen or geological gases. Authorities restrict filming near the Lanzon monolith, citing concerns about camera flashes damaging the ancient artwork, though this is suspected by some to be a control measure. Evidence suggests rituals involving hallucinogenic plants were performed in these subterranean spaces.
Saksaywaman Stone Mysteries
Copied to clipboard!
(02:16:48)
  • Key Takeaway: The massive, interlocking stones at Saksaywaman are considered the most bizarre site due to their size, rounded appearance, and seismic-resistant construction.
  • Summary: Stones at Saksaywaman are estimated to weigh up to 200 tons, and their precise interlocking technique remains a mystery, though legends suggest a plant was used to soften the stone. Reddish residue found on the stones might indicate they were painted or treated with a paste involving pyrite and plant material to aid in shaping. The site’s construction style is so unique that it challenges previous assumptions about the Chavín culture being the sole ‘mother culture’ of Peruvian religion.
Cusco Tunnels and Danger
Copied to clipboard!
(02:21:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Extensive tunnel systems near Cusco, a combination of natural caves and carved passages, pose significant risks, including the possibility of getting permanently lost.
  • Summary: These tunnels feature both natural formations and clearly carved steps, and explorers cannot reach the end of them. Stories exist of individuals getting lost in these tunnels and never being found, with one account detailing a cave crawler dying after becoming stuck headfirst in a narrow passage. The environment is so unnerving that the speaker compared the experience to the horror film The Descent.
Chisniri Tombs and Looting
Copied to clipboard!
(02:23:46)
  • Key Takeaway: The Chisniri site in the Cusco region contains tombs filled with human remains, with the current state of scattered bones being the result of extensive looting.
  • Summary: The tombs were originally used to bury the deceased, but the visible scattering of skulls and bones is attributed to looters digging up the remains to steal artifacts. The site features structures decorated with different colored mud, and the speaker was guided by the community president, illustrating that dedicated locals can still be found to help explorers.
Pioneers and Future Exploration
Copied to clipboard!
(02:26:30)
  • Key Takeaway: The current surge in interest in undocumented ancient civilizations is partly credited to pioneers like Graham Hancock, whose work is now validated by new discoveries.
  • Summary: Raul Bilecky is humbled by the opportunities his discoveries have created, including speaking engagements at conferences like the Quest for Ancient Civilizations. The speaker remains skeptical about claims like the 200,000-year-old Texas wall without multiple pieces of evidence, emphasizing the need for rigorous study in an era saturated with AI-generated misinformation. Bilecky plans to build an online community map for sharing and commenting on new site findings.