An aerial photo of Monte Sierpe, facing northeast. Jacob L Bongers In 1931, geologist Robert Shippee and US Navy Lieutenant George R. Johnson led one of the first aerial photography expeditions in South America. They captured stunning photographs of landscapes across the Andes, including some peculiar “pockmarks” in the Pisco Valley of southern Peru. These “pockmarks” make up the mysterious archaeological site of Monte Sierpe.