Chavin+de+Huantar

Chavin de Huantar today is an archaeological dig site located in the Andean highlands in Peru. It is about 160 miles north of Peru’s capital, Lima. This dig site also has an elevation of about 3,180 meters. At this large site archaeologists can see and explore the ceremonial center.

The center has a large flat top and is shaped like a pyramid. It has a U shaped floor plan with a sunken circle in the center. In the ceremonial center the decor consists many artifacts. There are statues of the ancient gods that many Peruvian people believed in. The main statue in the Ceremonial Center is the statue of the Staff God. This statue is the center of attention in this large building because it was the “main god” of the peruvian people.

The location of this site played an important role when it was built. It was built between the Mosna river and the Huanchecsa river. This provided easy transportation to other nearby regions. Also, this prevented any intruders from entering the area due to it being too hard to paddle upstream. The location also provided a place for reasonable crop growth. The low altitude areas of the region provided a place to grow maize while the high altitude regions provided a place to grow potatoes. Also, the high altitude provided the ideal place to domesticate llama’s for food and work purposes. This then made the lives of the peruvian people easier.

By: Elli Duensing