The earliest known observatory in the Americas was built by a little known civilization before the rise of the Incas.
The ancient ruins of Chankillo are considered to be a masterpiece of human creative genius, holding unique features not seen anywhere else in the world.
The archaeological site is located in the coastal desert of Peru and contains a row of 13 stone towers.
There are 13 towers in Chankillo. David Edgar is a member of the CC BY-SA 3.0.
The ruins of the observatory include a triple-walled hilltop complex called the Fortified Temple and two building complexes called the Observatory and the Administrative Center.
The site was completed over 2,300 years ago and was abandoned in the first century of the common era.
When official excavations began at the turn of the 21st century, archaeologists realized what they were looking at.
There is a view of the towers. Janine Costa is pictured.
Against a barren desert landscape and in broad daylight, the hilltop stone structures, which span roughly 300 meters (980 feet), don't look like much. It is another story at dawn and dusk.
An orb of light can be seen along the ridge of towers as the sun rises. The position of the sunrise as the year progresses is almost as if the light is flossing the horizon.
On the summer solstice, the sunrise can be seen to the right of the tower. The sunrise is visible to the left of the leftmost tower.
When an onlooker stands at a specific observation point below the ridge, they can predict the time of year within two or three days. The east observation point is thought to be the incomplete stone outline of a room, but it is in a symmetrical location and would have used the sunrise.
The September equinox is defined by the Sun setting between the sixth and seventh tower, as captured in the image below.
The sun setting on the September equinox.
The solar observatory was designed by an ancient civilization that was one of the oldest in the Americas. The culture of this area was also good at astronomy and had been for more than 1,000 years.
The ruins of Chankillo are located in the coastal desert between the Sechin river and the Casma river.
The civilization would probably have considered the Sun a deity. The site used to be used for rituals according to the staircases leading up to each tower.
The site was abandoned and the towers fell into disrepair, according to archaeological excavations. Archeologists say the structures would have been painted with graffiti or fingerprints.
The stone towers still record the days of the year even though they have been stripped of decoration. Efforts are being made to keep the ancient calendar accurate.
The Chankillo Archaeoastronomical Complex joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021.
The line of towers spans the entire annual solar rising and setting arcs as seen from two distinct observation points, one of which is still clearly visible above ground.
The solar observatory at Chankillo is a testimony of the evolution of astronomy in the area.
You can read more about this observatory at the portal to the heritage of astronomy.
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