Chankillo
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Chankillo or Chanquillo is an ancient monument complex in the Peruvian coastal desert. The ruins include the hilltop Chankillo Castillo, the nearby Thirteen Towers and residential and gathering areas. The Thirteen Towers were proposed to have been a solar observatory built in the 4th century BC.[1] in the March2, 2007, issue of Science.
The Thirteen Towers of Chankillo course 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.[2][3]. This infers that some activities of the ancient civilisation may have been regulated a solar calendar.
The site where the towers are based is about four square kilometres (1.5 square miles) in size, and is believed to be a ceremonial centre that was occupied in the 4th Century BC. The complex is found in the Casma-Sechin Oasis in the Ancash Department. The Casma-Sechin area contains many monuments buildings and plazas and is considered the probable center of a state-level society. Sechin Alto is the largest monument in the Americas from the second millenia BC.
[edit] References
- ^ Peruvian citadel is site of earliest ancient solar observatory in the Americas. physorg.com (2007-03-01). Retrieved on March 2, 2007.
- ^ Stone towers make up oldest observatory in Peru. Scientific American (2007-03-01). Retrieved on March 2, 2007.
- ^ Towers point to ancient Sun cult. BBC (2007-03-01). Retrieved on March 5, 2007.
