Chillón-Chancay Valley Geoglyphs
Canta-Chancay Pampa Lines · Chillón Pampa Geoglyphs
Early Horizon to Early Intermediate (Chavín / Lima)·Chavín-influenced central coast / Lima·🇵🇪 Lima Region, Huaral / Canta Provinces, Peru
About
About Chillón-Chancay Valley Geoglyphs
Low pampa (420 m) between Río Chillón and Río Chancay, on the desert margin of Lima, with 20 hill-slope and pampa geoglyphs: 50-120 m linear avenues, 25 m double spiral, and 18-35 m anthropomorphs on dissected alluvial terrace. Construction uses contrast between dark aeolian varnish and light granitic grus. Formative Chavín-related and Lima culture ceramics (200 BCE-600 CE) cluster at line termini. Huaral road development has bisected several lines; recent drone survey (Flores 2020) documented reuse of lines as Lima-period footpaths, with postherds in situ. Fog and Lima smog intermittently veil figures.
Why it mattersCentral coast Chavín-Lima geoglyph tradition near Lima capital zone.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Spiral cosmological meaning
Theories
- 01Inter-valley caravan shrine
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.400 BCE - 650 CE
- Period
- Early Horizon to Early Intermediate (Chavín / Lima)
- Culture
- Chavín-influenced central coast / Lima
- Builders
- Chillón-Chancay pampa communities
- Purpose
- Footpath marking and ritual spiral loci
- Abandoned
- c.700 CE (Wari retreat)
- Rediscovered
- 2020 Flores drone mapping
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
400 BCE
Earliest spiral peckings
2020
UAV records 20 figures
On the ground
Structures & features
11.5500° S · 77.1000° W · 420 m · 2 mapped features
Chancay Double Spiral
geoglyph25-m double spiral pecked on pampa terrace
11.5480° S · 77.1020° WChillón Northern Avenue
earthwork120-m avenue descending to Chillón floor
11.5520° S · 77.0980° W