Ancient Warrior Vessel Discovered at Chankillo, The Oldest Solar Observatory in the Americas
Archaeologists have uncovered a fragmented vessel depicting a warrior at Chankillo, the oldest solar observatory in the Americas, located in Peru’s Casma Valley.
This rare find links ancient solar ceremonies to the military and political power of elite groups over 2,300 years ago, offering new insights into the ceremonial and societal practices of the Casma culture.
Discovery of the Patazca-Style Warrior Vessel
The vessel, crafted in the Patazca style, was deliberately broken, likely as part of a ritual offering or during a conflict-related event. Patazca ceramics, produced in the northern coastal Andes around 500 BCE–200 CE, are characterized by highly detailed figurative designs, often depicting humans, animals, and scenes of combat or ritual.
These vessels frequently show expressive figures in dynamic poses, reflecting both daily life and ceremonial practices. The style is associated with the Casma culture, known for its complex society, monumental architecture, and sophisticated ceremonial traditions.
Located near the entrance to the Chankillo Solar Observatory, the vessel emphasizes the ceremonial role of such objects in religious practices tied to solar observation. Researchers link the warrior imagery to the Fortified Temple, a central hub for political, military, and ritual activities of the elite.
More:
https://arkeonews.net/ancient-warrior-vessel-discovered-at-chankillo-the-oldest-solar-observatory-in-the-americas/
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Dan Collyns in Lima
Tue 27 Jul 2021 21.35 EDT
Chankillo in Peru features 13 stone towers built in 250 to 200 Chankillo in Peru, which has been given Unesco world heritage status. Photograph: Ivan Ghezzi/Courtesy of World Monuments Fund
The oldest solar observatory in the Americas has been awarded Unesco world heritage status and dubbed “a masterpiece of human creative genius”.
The 2,300-year-old archaeological ruin Chankillo which lies in a desert valley in northern Peru was one of 13 new global sites added to the list of cultural monuments.
Thirteen towers that align on a ridge are the best-known feature of the ancient site which dates between 250 and 200 BCE. The towers functioned as a calendar using the rising and setting arcs of the sun to mark not only equinoxes and solstices but even to define the precise time of year to within one or two days. The site also includes an imposing triple-walled hilltop complex, known as the Fortified Temple set in the barren landscape of the Casma river valley.
Iván Ghezzi, the Chankillo programme director, told the Guardian that while he was “truly overwhelmed” by the recognition he was not surprised that the UN agency found Chankillo worthy of inclusion in the list.
“It is the only observatory from the ancient world that we know of that is a complete esolar calendar,” said Ghezzi, an archeologist who has studied and work ed on the site for two decades.C that functioned as a calendar by marking the rising and setting arcs of the sun
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/28/chankillo-oldest-solar-observatory-in-the-americas-awarded-unesco-world-heritage-status
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