Chankillo

- 9.5566666666667 - 78.235833333333Koordinaten: 9 ° 33 ' 24 "S, 78 ° 14' 9 " W

Chanquillo (or Chankillo ) is a fortress on a hill, near the city of Casma, in the Peruvian desert called about 300 kilometers north- north- west of the capital Lima.

Interpretation as a solar observatory

Found here Thirteen towers were interpreted according to recent studies by Ivan Ghezzi of the Catholic University in Lima and Clive Ruggles of the University of Leicester as a solar observatory. The dating was a construction period around 300 BC, so a good 600 years before the hitherto regarded as the oldest civilization of the region Moche culture. The towers are up to six meters high and have stairs that lead to viewing platforms. The distance between the structures is about 5 meters. Means that they form a comb-like line at regular intervals. As the archaeologists found out, can be personalized with their help striking positions of the sun as winter and summer solstices or favorable times for sowing for the time to read 300 BC. On both sides of the tower series now found two artificially constructed observation points during excavations. When viewed from these vantage points, there were the pretty exact possibilities of solar observation. In the extremely dry climate of the Peruvian Pacific coast accurate knowledge for the survival of a company incorporated under agriculture were essential for survival.

Further finds

The grounds also include a wider set of ring-shaped structures in which possibly took place ceremonies. It could also have been a defense plant. Overall, findings can be found in more than four square kilometers in connection with the towers. It seems to have traded an old ceremonial center. Several buildings and places, besides also a fortified temple have been found so far.

In order to produce such elaborate and complicated structures can be assumed to be equipped with great power domination or priest elite.