Where is chavin de huantar located

Not much to look at — but the true payoff is inside. Like Caral and other cities of the coast, it features a massive shrine in the form of an inverted U, with the New and Old Temples as the left and right prongs. Also like Caral, it has a sunken circular courtyard that probably served as a fire pit for sacrifices and open-air rituals.

But a deeper parallel lies within — in its subterranean passageways. Winding labyrinths, carved air shafts, dank underground galleries: the bowels of this archaic cellar are the stuff of nightmares.

The current interpretation holds it represented the dark power of the life force — profoundly sacred for Andean people. Serpents and caimans, jaguars and monkeys: the carvings on the walls make clear the influence of Amazonian art and shamanism. The New Temple also has galleries and plazas in its interior, but not all of them are currently open to the public.

First, participants would use nose tubes to snuff up hallucinogenic drugs made from the San Pedro cactus. Next, they would follow priests into the temple labyrinths, where their senses would be overwhelmed by the darkness and the bellowing of conch shells.

In this way evolved a powerful system of social control that paved the path for two thousand years of Andean spirituality. Search Advanced. By Properties. Cultural Criteria: i ii iii iv v vi Natural Criteria: vii viii ix x. Category Cultural Natural Mixed. All With videos With photo gallery. Country Region Year Name of the property. Without With. Chavin Archaeological Site The archaeological site of Chavin gave its name to the culture that developed between and B.

Chavin Archaeological Site. Outstanding Universal Value Brief Synthesis The archaeological site of Chavin gave its name to the culture that developed between the 15th and the 5th century BC in this high valley of the Peruvian Andes, in the province of Huari, department of Ancash. Integrity The boundaries of the inscribed property, Authenticity The conditions of authenticity of the Chavin Archaeological Site, including land planning and its architectural conception, shapes, materials and iconographic design have been maintained The existing elements at the site are witnesses of the outstanding design, development and aesthetic lithic art synthesis of the tombstones, beams, columns, sculptures and others that remain in situ , and show its religious ideological connotations, the symbolism and ritual meaning of the compound, and the ceremonial use and function of spaces and architectural areas in particular.

You live with them and become more impressionable. So who were these people travelling from far and wide to a remote, inaccessible plateau high in the Andes for the sole purpose of being initiated through a labyrinthine temple by god-like priests?

The answer lies in what they brought with them, and what they hoped to take away. At the time, anyone in a position of power in a village or local political system was looking for a way to reinforce their authority.

Military power was not very effective — local leaders only had control over so many people and power in warring cultures was likely to change hands frequently, and bloodily. The solution, suggests Rick, was to have your people buy into a belief system, and to show them that your power was ordained from above.

This was a cult for the secondary elite who were now emerging and for whom Chavin fit very well in their world view.

Visitors would be asked for contributions of labour to show their commitment to the cult. Local leaders would bring expert workers with them who could help to construct these intricate temples. In return, only the leaders would be permitted to enter the temple. The more important you were, or the more you could offer the cult, the further into the temple you could pass in a kind of initiation ceremony. By doing so, they were committing themselves to the cult, and being touched by the god-like powers of the priests.

Rick thinks there might have been eight to 20 major cult centres in the central Andes competing with each other for followings. It was the purpose of the centres to develop technology that would impress people. This other site might have impressed visitors with their ability to control light.

In addition there are a few small health centers in nearby hamlets. Some hotels offer free Wi-Fi. Operators Claro and Movistar have 3G coverage in town and a bit outside of it, Movistar also has 2G coverage further out. It has a variety of good, quality information including hotels, restaurants, attractions and travel details.

Please contribute and help us make it a star! Namespaces Page Discussion. Views Read Edit View history.