Archaeologists from Stanford University (USA) have discovered a network of tunnels hidden under the 3,000-year-old Chavín de Huántar temple complex in the Peruvian Andes.
The ancient temple it once functioned as an important administrative and religious center of the region. The tunnels discovered contain earlier forms of construction made by the Chavín culture, which had not been observed before.
the place pre-inca Originally from the Peruvian highlands, it was built by the Chavín people; first appeared in the Mosna Valley around 900 BC C. and remained until about 250 a. C. It is located more than 450 kilometers south of the Peruvian capital, Lima, and at 3,200 meters above sea level.
35 passages discovered
The researchers discovered at least 35 passages, connected to each other. According to experts, they were built between 1,200 and 200 BC, in the foothills of the Andes.
The 3,000-year-old passages were found intact.
John W.Rick, Stanford University archaeologist and one of those responsible for the discovery, assured that the tunnels may have been built before the main galleries of the temple.
He also indicated that the passage is very different. “It’s another form of construction. It has features from earlier periods that we have never seen in the hallways.
Interior corridor of the Chavín de Huántar temple. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Similarly, Rick revealed that during his investigation he entered through a passage about 40 centimeters in diameter and found two ancient vessels, one of them had a three-dimensional sculpture of a condor’s head. For this reason, the passage received the name of Condor Gallery. The vessels and galleries would have been used for ceremonial purposes.
Archaeological complex of Chavín de Huantar. Credit: EFE
The site of Chavín de Huantar was declared a World Heritage Site in 1985.
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