Chavín de Huántar
Chavín de Huántar is an archaeological site (or archaeological monument) located in the Chavín de Huántar District, Huari Province, Ancash Department, Peru. Declared a World Heritage Site in 1985,
it was the administrative and religious center of the Chavín culture, built and occupied approximately between 1500 and 300 BC (Andean Formative). Its truncated pyramid-shaped structures are built from stone and mud mortar. The most impressive structure is known as “El Castillo,” also called “Templo Mayor” or “Templo Nuevo.” It is an outstanding example of the construction art of ancient Peruvians due to the high degree of perfection achieved in engineering, stone carving and polishing, and the lithosculpture associated with its architecture. Despite not being the oldest, largest, or most striking archaeological site in ancient Peru, Chavín de Huántar is considered the most important pilgrimage center in the Andean world and, according to Luis Guillermo Lumbreras, a synthesis of previous experiences developed on the coast, mountains, and jungle, as well as one of the earliest testimonies of civilization in the Americas.
Where is?
It is located 462 km northeast of Lima and 86 km from Huaraz, at an elevation of 3,177 m above sea level, in the Sierra Oriental of Ancash, east of the Cordillera Blanca. The complex is located at the confluence of the Huachecsa and Mosna rivers, in the upper basin of the Marañón River, which was a pre-Inca crossing point from the coast to the jungle, which fostered its growth and importance in the collection of supplies and the transit of goods.