Kuntur Wasi
Encyclopedia
Kuntur Wasi is the name given to ruins of a religious center with complex architecture and stone sculptures, located in the Andean highlands
of Peru
. It is believed the inhabitants had a link with Chavín
culture.
Kuntur Wasi is located in the Northern Mountain Range of Peru, specifically at the headwaters of the Jequetepeque River, in the region of the city of Cajamarca
near the small town of San Pablo. The Jequetepeque valley provided a transportation corridor between the coastal region and the highlands. Kuntur Wasi was a center where people congregated.
Kuntur Wasi is thought to have been constructed around 1000-700 BCE, during the Initial Period. The architecture consists of a hill-top temple, quadrangular platforms, a sunken courtyard, and series of rooms. In the floor of one room there is an anthropomorphic figure made of clay, about 30 inches (75 cm) in height. It is painted with cinnabar red, malachite green, and black, yellow, and pink. Its face has big square eyes and a wide mouth with prominent canine teeth. There are also stepped platforms and funeral structures. Lithosculptures have been found, similar to the Chavín style. Kuntur Wasi was occupied between the years 1200-50 BC.
Kuntur Wasi was first discovered in 1945 by Julio C. Tello
. In 1989, scientists from the University of Tokyo
excavated four tombs at Kutur Wasi. Valuable items, such as pectoral necklaces (decorative breastplates), gold crowns, ornamental stone beads, earrings, sets of dishes and iconographies of people were discovered in the burial area. Since the beginning of the University of Tokyo's archaeological mission, eight tombs have been found in the area.
The Kuntur Wasi Museum, managed by local citizens, opened in 1994.
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...
of Peru
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....
. It is believed the inhabitants had a link with Chavín
Chavin
Chavin may refer to:* Chavín culture, an early culture of the Andean region, pre-dating the Moche culture in Peru* Chavín de Huantar, an archaeological site built by the Chavín culture* Chavin, Indre, a commune of the Indre département in France...
culture.
Cajamarca
Cajamarca may refer to:Colombia*Cajamarca, Tolima a town and municipality in Tolima DepartmentPeru* Cajamarca, city in Peru.* Cajamarca District, district in the Cajamarca province.* Cajamarca Province, province in the Cajamarca region....
near the small town of San Pablo. The Jequetepeque valley provided a transportation corridor between the coastal region and the highlands. Kuntur Wasi was a center where people congregated.
Kuntur Wasi is thought to have been constructed around 1000-700 BCE, during the Initial Period. The architecture consists of a hill-top temple, quadrangular platforms, a sunken courtyard, and series of rooms. In the floor of one room there is an anthropomorphic figure made of clay, about 30 inches (75 cm) in height. It is painted with cinnabar red, malachite green, and black, yellow, and pink. Its face has big square eyes and a wide mouth with prominent canine teeth. There are also stepped platforms and funeral structures. Lithosculptures have been found, similar to the Chavín style. Kuntur Wasi was occupied between the years 1200-50 BC.
Kuntur Wasi was first discovered in 1945 by Julio C. Tello
Julio C. Tello
Julio César Tello was a Peruvian archaeologist. Tello is considered the "father of Peruvian archeology" and was America's first indigenous archaeologist...
. In 1989, scientists from the University of Tokyo
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
excavated four tombs at Kutur Wasi. Valuable items, such as pectoral necklaces (decorative breastplates), gold crowns, ornamental stone beads, earrings, sets of dishes and iconographies of people were discovered in the burial area. Since the beginning of the University of Tokyo's archaeological mission, eight tombs have been found in the area.
The Kuntur Wasi Museum, managed by local citizens, opened in 1994.
See also
- Cultural periods of PeruCultural periods of PeruThis is a chart of cultural periods of Peru and the Andean Region developed by Edward Lanning and used by some archaeologists studying the area...
- CupisniqueCupisniqueCupisnique was a pre-Columbian culture which flourished from ca. 1000 to 200 BC along what is presently Peru's Pacific Coast. The culture had a distinctive style of adobe clay architecture but shared artistic styles and religious symbols with the later Chavin culture which arose in the same area at...
- KotoshKotoshKotosh 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...
- Corantijn BasinCorantijn BasinThe Corantijn Basin is one of a large number of archaeological sites located in the interior of Suriname in South America. The Suriname archaeological sites provide information on prehistoric human populations that lived in Suriname before 1492. At the Corantijn Basin site have been found most...
, SurinameSurinameSuriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...