Beyond the Incas - The Ancient Ruins of Chavin De Huantar

Located high up in the Peruvian Andesworshiped three important deities, the serpent,
approximately 250km north of Lima and to thecondor and feline (jaguar or puma) and many of
east of the Cordillera Blanca mountain range, theyits artifacts can be found to depict one or more
belong to one of the oldest known civilizations inof these animals.
South America and offer an intriguing insight intoHowever, its durability as a 3000 year old legacy
an ancient culture that ruled for over a millennium.comes at a cost. Preservation of the site requires
The historical site is thought to have beensignificant funding that has, on occasion, stretched
constructed around 1500BC and served as a basebeyond the capability of the Peruvian government.
for the Chavin people until their reign came to anThe Institute for National Culture were forced to
end in 300BC, many years before the first Incaask for emergency assistance in recent years in
was born. It enjoyed its most vibrant period fromorder to protect the site from threats such as
800BC - 300BC during the Early Horizon period,the El Nino climatic phenomenon. Income
making such an impact over this time that it isgenerated from tourism and visitors to the area
now commonly described as the Chavin Horizon.obviously helps this process considerably, as well
The ruins are set amongst the towering peaks ofas being an important source of income for the
the adjacent mountain range at an altitude oflocal community.
3,180m above sea level. The site covers an areaThe travel company Escaped to Peru offer
of 12,000 square meters and is formed by avacation packages throughout South America and
combination of terraces and sunken squares setare specialists in putting together trips that
within a perimeter wall. It also hosts a fairlyincorporate such archaeological treasures. Whilst
complex drainage system that leads in and out ofthe majority of tourists in Peru head for the
a labyrinth of underground chambers. Above thebetter known archaeological sites such as Machu
main square stands a castilla, a tall pyramidPicchu in the south, the Chavin de Huantar ruins
structure overlooking the whole site. The foresightstill draw reasonable crowds throughout the year,
of its founders saw them build the majority ofholding just as many mysteries as other
the site from stone, enabling it to stand the testarchaeological sites around the country and
of time in the face of a variety of naturalrunning out clear winners in terms of longevity.
hazards. It has successfully withstood bothThe nearest major town to Chavin is Huaraz, and
landslides and earthquakes at random points overmany tourists choose to make the day trip by
the course of its existence.bus, which takes about 4 hours passing by some
Visitors will be able to observe various clues heldstunning mountain scenery along the way. The
within these ruins and others from the Chavin asmore adventurous tourist can choose to carry on
to the principals that lay behind this ancient culture.round the valley from Chavin, coming to the small
Artifacts, such as shells with holes drilled into themmarket town of Huari prior to arriving at Chacas,
in order to be used as horns, suggest thata mountain village famous for its carpentry.
religious ceremonies played an important roleWhatever your final route, the Chavin de Huantar
within Chavin society. Significant strides wereruins will intrigue the archaeologist and casual
made in techniques for metallurgy and textilesvisitor alike, and tourism, government authorities
over this period, with materials such as camel hairand the local community must all work together
being dyed to make cloths, as well as the practiceto ensure this world heritage site remains
of joining together pre-shaped metals to makepreserved for generations to come.
items of artistic or practical value. Chavin culture