Running Head: Chavin de Huantar
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Chavin de Huantar
Jennifer Barnette
Native American Anthropology ANT348
Dr. Kathryn Sorensen
August 17, 2013
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Chavin de Huantar
In modern Peru, there stands an ancient temple complex, damaged by floods and
landslides, holding a great mystery. This site is Chavin de Huantar, named for the culture that
built the complex as early as 1500 BCE (CyArk, n.d.). The site is full of religious artifacts,
works of art, and a mystery pertaining to the actual age of the site, and faces danger in the future.
Chavin de Huantar is considered primarily a temple complex. The site was originally
built as a U-shaped “Old” Temple, with a “New” Temple added on much later (CyArk, n.d.).
The site was built in fifteen phases grouped into five stages, Separate Mound, Expansion,
Consolidation, Black and White, and Support Construction (Feathers, 2008). Underneath
“Building A,” the “New Temple,” were subterranean canals that may have acted as drains, but
likely would have caused the temple to “roar” due to the rushing water (Cyark, n.d.). In addition,
evidence has been found of an elaborate hydraulic system, providing irrigation to the valley floor
(Burger, 1990).
The most striking feature of the complex is the Black and White Portal. It is made of
black limestone and white granite, complete with carvings that emphasize duality, a common
theme of Andean art (CyArk, n.d.). A matching staircase was once in place between the main
temple and the circular plaza, but has been used for building supplies for centuries after the
decline of the Chavin civilization (CyArk, n.d.). The Lanzon Stela, the centerpiece of the Old
Temple, is thought to be a depiction of the supreme deity of the Chavin, also known as the
“Smiling God” (CyArk, n.d.). There are also many depictions of various animal-human hybrids
and animal-animal hybrids, such as the feline-avian figures on the Black and White portal
(CyArk, n.d.).
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Depending on the method of dating used, the artifacts and construction at the site can
range anywhere from 3000 BC to 200 BC. Burger (1981; 1990) used radiocarbon dating to find
that the majority of use and construction happened between approximately 850 BCE and 460
BCE. Others believe that the site was built in 1200 BCE, 900 BCE, or as late as 500 BCE, and
may have been in use as late as 200 BCE (Burger 1981; Burger 1990; CyArk, n.d.; Feathers
2008). The site has some unique traits compared to other Chavin temples which indicates that it
might not have been contemporary with others like Garagay, Haldas, and CAballo Muerto.
Current thought is that other major centers, mostly along the coast, went into decline and were
largely abandoned in the fifth or fourth centuries BCE, sparking growth and renewal at Chavin
de Huantar (Burger, 81). However, the decline of the Chavin culture coincided with social
instability and upheaval at Chavin de Huantar between 500 and 300 BCE (CyArk, n.d.). The
large urban centers were largely replaced by agricultural societies (Burger, 1981).
The site consists of layer upon layer of building and alluvium, deposited from river
flooding. These floods, along with the beating sun, fierce winds, and seasonal rains have all lead
to massive destruction of the site. Some of the buildings, such as those labeled “D” and “E” by
CyArk, are damaged, in parts beyond recognition. Between 1919 and 1934 alone, Building E’s
gallery had eroded from fifty meters to twenty-four (CyArk, n.d.; Tello, 1943). The site, never
high on the Peruvian government’s list of priorities, had been left to fend for itself until recently,
and risks being destroyed by a combination of weather and good intentions. A road was to be
built leading up to the site, but it took Stanford University’s efforts to secure any artifacts and
ensure the road would not cause undue damage (CyArk, n.d.).
In all, Chavin de Huantar, only discovered in 1919, has not been excavated and studied as
much as other urban centers, such as Chichen Itza or Machu Picchu, and there is a significant
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amount of knowledge still unknown regarding both the temple complex and the people who built
it. What we do know points towards a group of people with a rich religious tradition, who were
excellent stone carvers that lived anywhere from five thousand to twenty-two hundred years ago
in a land ravaged by river flooding. Only time, and extensive study, will tell what further
information can be discovered in the highlands of Peru.
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References
Burger, R. (1981, July). The Radiocarbon Evidence for the Temporal Priority of Chavin de
Huantar. American Antiquity, 46(3), pp. 592-602. Retrieved June 14, 2012 from JSTOR.
Burger, R. & Van der Merwe, N. (1990, March). Maize and the Origin of Highland Chavin
Civilization: An Isotopic Perspective. American Anthropologist, 92(1) pp 85-95.
Retrieved June 14, 2012 from ProQuest.
CyArk. (n.d.). Chavin de Huantar. Site Information. Retrieved June 14, 2012 from
archive.cyark.org/chavin-de-huantar-info
Feathers, J., Johnson, J., & Kembel, S. (2008). Luminescence Dating of Monumental Stone
Architecture at Chavin de Huantar, Peru. J Archaeol Method Theory 15, pp 266-296.
Retrieved June 14, 2012 from Pro Quest.
Lobo, S., Talbot, S., & Morris, T. (2010). Native American Voices: A Reader. Third Edition.
Boston: Prentice Hall.
Tello, J. (1943, July). Discovery of the Chavin Culture in Peru. American Antiquity, 9(1), pp.
135-160. Retrieved June 14, 2012 from JSTOR.