Chankillo
Encyclopedia
Chankillo is an ancient monumental complex in the Peru
vian coastal desert, found in the Casma-Sechin
Oasis in the Ancash Department of Peru. The ruins include the hilltop Chankillo fort, the nearby Thirteen Towers solar observatory, and residential and gathering areas. The Thirteen Towers are believed to have been a solar observatory built in the 4th century BC. As of 2008, the culture that produced Chankillo is unnamed.Atwood
The site covers about four square kilometres (1.5 square miles) and is believed to be a fortified temple that was occupied in the 4th Century BC.
The towers had been known to travelers for centuries, but the astronomical function of the towers was discovered in 2007 by Iván Ghezzi and Clive Ruggle.
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....
vian coastal desert, found in the Casma-Sechin
Casma Valley
The Casma Valley, a coastal valley situated about north of Lima, Peru, lies between the towns of Chimbote and Huarmey. It is notable for the grand scale of numerous archaeological sites, including stone-faced pyramids and the Thirteen Towers of Chankillo. Sechin Alto is the largest American...
Oasis in the Ancash Department of Peru. The ruins include the hilltop Chankillo fort, the nearby Thirteen Towers solar observatory, and residential and gathering areas. The Thirteen Towers are believed to have been a solar observatory built in the 4th century BC. As of 2008, the culture that produced Chankillo is unnamed.Atwood
The site covers about four square kilometres (1.5 square miles) and is believed to be a fortified temple that was occupied in the 4th Century BC.
The Thirteen Towers solar observatory
The Thirteen Towers of Chankillo run north to south along a ridge of a low hill and are regularly spaced, forming a "toothed" horizon with narrow gaps at regular intervals. To the east and west investigators found two observation points. From these vantages, the 300m long spread of the towers along the horizon corresponds very closely to the rising and setting positions of the Sun over the year. This suggests that some activities of the ancient civilization were regulated by a solar calendar.The towers had been known to travelers for centuries, but the astronomical function of the towers was discovered in 2007 by Iván Ghezzi and Clive Ruggle.
External links
- Towers point to ancient Sun cult, BBC
- Giant Solar Calendar Measures Time, BBC
- Early Monumental Architecture on the Peruvian Coast
- Yale University article: Peruvian Citadel is Site of Earliest Ancient Solar Observatory in the Americas and slide show
- View from the air on the Chankillo site
- Wonders of the Universe, Prof. Brian Cox, BBC (maybe region locked to UK only)
