Otuzco’s Stone Windows: Cajamarca Tombs Cut into a Fragile Cliff
Ventanillas de Otuzco was a Cajamarca mortuary site cut into volcanic stone. Official surveys describe varied burial chambers and a modern rockfall hazard that threatens the remains.
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Peru
Inca quipu writing may have preserved ancient climate records in knotted strings
High in the Peruvian Andes, the villagers of Santa Leonor de Jucul have kept a cord archive that may preserve something few written chronicles ever captured from the ground up:…
The forgotten empire of Peru that existed before the Inca — and left no writing behind
Long before the Inca, another empire ruled Peru’s northern coast — a civilization so powerful it built the largest adobe city in the Americas. The now-forgotten empire of Peru was…
Before Machu Picchu, Chan Chan Ruled Peru’s Northern Coast
Before Machu Picchu became Peru’s shorthand for ancient grandeur, another city had already risen and ruled on the coast. Chan Chan was older, vastly larger in area, and built not…
Chankillo is the oldest surviving astronomical observatory on Earth
In the dry valleys of northern Peru, a line of thirteen stone towers still does exactly what it was built to do more than 2,300 years ago: mark the passage…
Over 300 New Nazca Lines Discovered Using Advanced AI Technology
Recent research has uncovered over 300 previously unknown Nazca Lines geoglyphs, thanks to the application of advanced artificial intelligence technology. These new findings bring the total number of discovered geoglyphs…
5 Extraordinary Reasons Why the Megaliths of Ollantaytambo Should Be on Your Must-See List
Discover the captivating allure of Ollantaytambo’s ancient megaliths and their significance in Inca history. Nestled within the heart of the Sacred Valley in Peru, Ollantaytambo is an ancient Inca site…
Sacsayhuaman and the Stones That Still Defy Scale
Perched above Cusco, Sacsayhuaman remains one of the clearest displays of what Inca builders could do with raw stone, steep terrain, and immense human labor. Its giant zigzag walls are…
3 Reasons Why Ancient Civilizations Probably Built Pyramids
None of the pyramids worldwide are as famous as the majestic ancient Egyptian pyramids. There are around 120 pyramids in Egypt, depending on what sources are consulted. Although many pyramids…
Researchers Find Secret Tunnels Beneath 3,000-Year-Old “Pyramid Temple” in Peru
A group of researchers has discovered a secret tunnel and gallery beneath an ancient pyramid temple in Peru, dubbed Chavín de Huántar, located in the province of Huari. According to…
Chavin de Huantar: The Ancient Peruvian Citadel You Likely Never Heard Of
Chavin was an ancient native culture from the northern mountainous part of present-day Peru, which existed in the period 1200-300 BC. It was named after the archaeological site of Chavin…
10 Fascinating Ancient Places in Peru You Probably Didn’t Know About
What are some of your favorite ancient places in Peru? “It’s an irritating reality that many places and events defy description. For instance, Angkor Wat and ancient Machu Picchu seem…
10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the Ancient Astronomical Complex of Chanquillo
The thirteen towers of Chanquillo are considered the oldest astronomical complex in the Americas. Thousands of years ago, complex cultures developed around the world. Independently and without an apparent contact,…
10 Curiosities You Probably Didn’t Know About Peru’s 2,000-Year-Old Nazca Lines
Despite over 80 years of study of the Nazca Lines, the geoglyphs have remained a mystery to researchers who have flown and explored the lines for decades. Resumed, the Nazca…
The 2,400-Year-Old Giant Clay Vase Discovered in Peru You Probably Never Heard About
On October 27, 1966, the Regional Museum of Ica discovered a unique object of unseen proportions; a massive granary bowl, until then the largest pre-Hispanic pot found in Peru. The…
What You Probably Didn’t Know About Ollantaytambo
Some 90 kilometers from the present-day city of Cuzco in Peru lay the remains of one of South America’s most impressive ancient archaeological sites. Not many people know of Ollantaytambo,…
A 5,000-Year-Old Peruvian Pyramid Reveals Unexpected Clues About Ancient Civilization
It may not be close to as big as the Great Pyramid of Giza. However, a kind of pyramid structure recently excavated in Peru has revealed stunning details about human…
3 Lesser-Known Ancient Pyramids You Should Know About
It’s no secret that when people speak about pyramids, we immediately picture in our minds the Pyramids at the Giza plateau and the majestic Pyramid of Khufu. But pyramids are…
The Huaca Pucllana: A Massive Ancient Pyramid You Probably Never Knew Existed
Peru is home to several different–unrecognized– wonders of the world, and one of them is a massive pyramid that many people had no idea existed. It’s called the Huaca Pucllana,…
Huaca del Sol: A Massive Ancient Temple Made of More Than 130 million adobe bricks
Have you ever heard about a monument called Huaca del sol? The Massive Structure, made of over 130 million adobe bricks, reflects the sophistication of ancient Peruvian Culture. The Moche…
The Palpa Lines: Ancient Symbols Carved in the Desert Floor 1,000 Years Before Nazca
When you speak about Peru, you can’t help and mention its incredibly rich history. Whether its ancient cities you want, lost treasures, or mysterious symbols carved on the arid desert…
The Amazon’s Legendary Boiling River is Real; It Can Boil Animals Alive
The Amazonian river can boil animals alive. An ancestral legend in the Peruvian Amazon speaks of a mysterious, boiling river. Hidden deep within the rainforest, this body of water is…
The Face of the Inca at Machu Picchu: Natural Formation or Sacred Landscape?
From one angle, the mountains around Machu Picchu seem to form a human profile: a brow, nose, lips and chin cut into the ridgeline. Visitors and photographs often call it…
Here’s what happens when the Nazca Lines are plotted over the entire planet
The Nazca Lines stretch across the southern deserts of Peru—massive geoglyphs etched into the Earth by an ancient civilization more than 1,500 years ago. Their purpose remains unknown, their scale…