Chavin de Huantar, Archaeological site in Ancash, Peru
Chavin de Huantar is a ceremonial site in the Peruvian highlands at 3,180 meters, near the confluence of the Huachecsa and Mosna rivers. The complex contains several stone structures, open courtyards, and a network of interior corridors running beneath the platforms.
The center emerged around 1200 BC and was used for ceremonies and oracle consultations for about eight hundred years. Over time successive generations expanded the complex with new platforms and underground chambers.
The name comes from the Río Chavín that flows through the region and refers to the pre-Columbian culture that once lived here. Today the remaining platforms and relief carvings preserve the memory of rituals and processions that took place thousands of years ago.
Access is possible through day trips from Huaraz or via a multi-day hiking trail from Olleros through the mountain terrain. The altitude requires prior acclimatization and weather conditions can change quickly in the mountains.
A system of underground passages channels daylight and mountain air throughout the entire structure into the innermost chambers. This engineering solution provided ventilation and illumination without artificial aids in an era without modern technology.
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