Lima, Peru
Archaeologists working in Peru have unearthed a 3000-year-old sealed corridor. Which leads to restrooms inside a huge temple complex possibly belonging to the ancient Chavín culture. This place is the Chavin de Huantar archaeological site, located 306 km northeast of the capital Lima. It is one of the most important centres of culture, which flourished around 1,500 to 500 BC.
The Chavín are famous for their advanced art, usually depicting birds and cats. They are one of the first sedentary farming communities in the northern highlands of the Peruvian Andes. They lived more than 2,000 years before the Inca Empire came to power. The discoveries at Chavín are focused on a corridor inside the southern part of the temple. Archaeologists believe that this was sealed due to structural weakness. But now it offers a glimpse into the early days of Chavín.
“What we have here is a pause in time,” said the Stanford University archaeologist. The door to the corridor opened in May 2022. A large ceramic piece weighing about 17 kg has been found here, on which the head and wings of a condor bird are made. This was found along with a bowl of cereal in the corridor. Condors are one of the largest birds in the world. It was associated with power and prosperity in ancient Andean cultures.
The temple complex has a network of terraces as well as corridors. This has been discovered recently. Archaeologist Rick said that most of the temple complex is still excavated. The condors passageway was first discovered by Rick’s team. It was inspected using cameras mounted on the robot to prevent further damage to the already dilapidated structure. UNESCO declared Chavín de Huantar a World Heritage Site in 1985.
