Buena Vista, Peru
Encyclopedia
Buena Vista is an 8 hectare (20 acre) archaeological site located in Peru
about 25 miles inland in the Chillon River
Valley and an hour's drive north of Lima
. It is in the Santa Rosa de Quives District
, Canta Province
, in the foothills of the Andes
. The site was first excavated by Frederic Engel (1987). He obtained radiocarbon dates of artifacts that pertained to the Early Preceramic Period (9700+/-200 uncalibrated radiocarbon years before present
), and to the Early Intermediate Period (1960+/-80 uncalibrated radiocarbon years before present).
In 2006, archaeologist Robert Benfer and his team announced the discovery of a 4200-year-old observatory
at Buena Vista. Named the "Temple of the Fox" by archaeologists, the observatory is located atop a 33 feet (10.1 m) high pyramid mound. The temple complex is about 55 feet (16.8 m) long.
Features of the temple's construction produce alignments that mark the summer and winter solstice
s. The observatory is further distinguished by its sophisticated carvings, and a three-dimensional life-size sculpture of a musician, unique for a period known for two-dimensional reliefs in that region.
Radiocarbon dating
of organic materials recovered from sealed contexts within the temple resulted in an age of ca. 2200 B.C. This date makes the Temple of the Fox the oldest observatory presently known in the Americas. Its discovery has caused researchers to realize that a much older and more complex culture inhabited the area than they had realized. They believe that it is related to the development of a sedentary society that depended on agriculture, although Benfer thinks fishing was also critical to their community.
The scholars generally refer to the indigenous people of this period as Andeans, as there are no written records of their name. Some scholars call them followers of the Kotosh
religious tradition.
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
about 25 miles inland in the Chillon River
Chillón River
The Chillón River is a river located in western Peru. Its waters are produced by the melting of ice in the glaciers of the Andes, and its mouth is located in the Pacific Ocean coast of the Callao Region. Its volume gets higher during the summer months . The river's valley is very fertile...
Valley and an hour's drive north of Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
. It is in the Santa Rosa de Quives District
Santa Rosa de Quives District
Santa Rosa de Quives is a district in the middle of Canta Province, Lima Region in Peru. It is bordered by Carabayllo District on the west, Huamantanga District on the north, Lachaqui and Arahuay districts on the east, and Carabayllo District and Huarochirí Province on the south.-External links:...
, Canta Province
Canta Province
Canta Province is a province in the Lima Region of Peru, situated approximately to the northeast of the Peruvian capital, Lima.-Political division:The province is divided into seven districts.* Arahuay * Canta * Huamantanga...
, in the foothills of the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
. The site was first excavated by Frederic Engel (1987). He obtained radiocarbon dates of artifacts that pertained to the Early Preceramic Period (9700+/-200 uncalibrated radiocarbon years before present
Before Present
Before Present years is a time scale used in archaeology, geology, and other scientific disciplines to specify when events in the past occurred. Because the "present" time changes, standard practice is to use AD 1950 as the origin of the age scale, reflecting the fact that radiocarbon...
), and to the Early Intermediate Period (1960+/-80 uncalibrated radiocarbon years before present).
In 2006, archaeologist Robert Benfer and his team announced the discovery of a 4200-year-old observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
at Buena Vista. Named the "Temple of the Fox" by archaeologists, the observatory is located atop a 33 feet (10.1 m) high pyramid mound. The temple complex is about 55 feet (16.8 m) long.
Features of the temple's construction produce alignments that mark the summer and winter solstice
Solstice
A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year when the Sun's apparent position in the sky, as viewed from Earth, reaches its northernmost or southernmost extremes...
s. The observatory is further distinguished by its sophisticated carvings, and a three-dimensional life-size sculpture of a musician, unique for a period known for two-dimensional reliefs in that region.
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
of organic materials recovered from sealed contexts within the temple resulted in an age of ca. 2200 B.C. This date makes the Temple of the Fox the oldest observatory presently known in the Americas. Its discovery has caused researchers to realize that a much older and more complex culture inhabited the area than they had realized. They believe that it is related to the development of a sedentary society that depended on agriculture, although Benfer thinks fishing was also critical to their community.
The scholars generally refer to the indigenous people of this period as Andeans, as there are no written records of their name. Some scholars call them followers of the Kotosh
Kotosh
Kotosh is an archaeological site near Huanuco containing a temple of the Late Archaic period. The site gave name to the Kotosh Religious Tradition, which existed in Peru in 2300—1200 BCE, i.e. in the Late Archaic period...
religious tradition.