Chankillo, Ancash, Peru

Chankillo or Chanquillo is an ancient monumental complex in the Peruvian coastal desert, found in the Casma-Sechin basin in the Ancash Department of Peru.

The ruins include the hilltop Chankillo fort, the nearby Thirteen Towers solar observatory, and residential and gathering areas.

The site covers about four square kilometres (1.5 square miles) and has been interpreted as a fortified temple.

The Thirteen Towers have been interpreted as an astronomical observatory built in the third century BCE.

The culture that produced Chankillo is called the Casma/Sechin culture or the Sechin Complex.

Chankillo Plan
Plan 1 Legend:

Fortified temple
Thirteen towers

Road sign indicating the location of Chankillo
The archaeological site is located at km 361 (mi 224) of the Panamericana Norte, on the left bank of the Casma River south of the San Rafael Valley, in Peru.

It is located in the district and province of Casma in the Ancash region of Peru.
Chankillo is also located 200 km (124 mi) from Caral, the oldest civilization on the American continent.

Walking along the dirt path (Plan 2 No. 1)
From the paved road to the archaeological site it is 3 km (2 mi) of unpaved road.

Fortified temple

Fortified temple Plan
Plan 2 Legend:

Unpaved road
Guard's house
Entrance of the first wall
First wall
Tunnel of the second wall
Second wall
Third wall
Entrance of the third wall
North circular building
South circular building
Rectangular building
Thirteen towers viewpoint

Aerial view of the fortified temple
Museo Regional de Casma "Max Uhle".

Panorama of Chankillo and its surroundings

Entrance to the fortified temple (Plan 2 No. 3)

Climbing the first wall (Plan 2 No. 4)

Descending from the first wall
The second wall is in front of us.

Tunnel to cross the second wall (Plan 2 No. 5)
The tunnel that was originally used to cross the second wall is currently blocked so we have to climb the second wall as well.

Climbing the second wall (Plan 2 No. 6)

Panorama of the courtyard between the second and third walls

Beyond the third wall we can see the north circular building (left), the south circular building (center) and the rectangular building (right).

Panorama of the third wall (Plan 2 No. 7)
Ahead we can see the third wall and the entrance (Plan 2 No. 8) that allows us to cross the third wall.

Beyond the third wall we can see the north circular building (Plan 2 No. 9), the south circular building (Plan 2 No. 10) and the rectangular building (Plan 2 No. 11).

Structure of the crossing of the second wall
After crossing the second wall there is an architectural structure that appears to have been used to control the passage of those entering the fortress.

Climbing the third wall (Plan 2 No. 7)

Walking to the thirteen towers viewpoint

Thirteen towers viewpoint (Plan 2 No. 12)
The viewpoint is located east of the fortress.

In the exact center of the photo we can see the thirteen towers.

Thirteen towers

Thirteen towers Plan
Plan 3 Legend:

Winter solstice
Summer solstice

Thirteen towers
The regularly-spaced thirteen towers of Chankillo were constructed atop the ridge of a low hill running near north to south, forming a "toothed" horizon with narrow gaps at regular intervals.

To the east and west investigators designated two possible observation points. From these vantages, the 300m long spread of the towers along the horizon corresponds very closely to the rising and setting positions of the sun over the year, albeit they are not all visible.
On the winter solstice, the sun would rise behind the leftmost tower of Chankillo and rise behind each of the towers until it reached the rightmost tower six months later on the summer solstice, marking the passage of time.
The Thirteen Towers of Chankillo could be the earliest known observatory in the Americas. Inhabitants of Chankillo would have been able to determine an accurate date, with an error of a day or two, by observing the sunrise or sunset from the correct tower.

Reconstruction of the thirteen tower solar observatory
Research shows that ceremonies were held in the Chankillo Monumental Archaeological Zone in which food and drink were consumed, accompanied by music, dances and other ritual practices. These ceremonial banquets were linked to solar worship, the redistribution of goods and to combats, both real and ritual, which granted legitimacy and authority to an elite of astronomical and warrior leaders.

From some points located to the west and east of the site, it is possible to observe how Las Trece Torres mark the position of sunrise and sunset on the horizon throughout the year.
Dates such as the solstices and equinoxes stand out, which mark the change between the annual seasons.
Museo Regional de Casma "Max Uhle".