Chaviña Pampa North Ridge Geoglyphs (Cerro Chaviña Norte)
Chaviña Norte Geoglyphs · Cerro Chaviña Ridge Lines
Early Nasca to Wari·Nasca–Huarpa–Wari·🇵🇪 Ayacucho Region, Lucanas Province, Cerro Chaviña Ridge, Peru
About
About Chaviña Pampa North Ridge Geoglyphs (Cerro Chaviña Norte)
Ridgeline field on Cerro Chaviña crest (3,420 m) 2.5 km north of Chaviña, commanding Puquio basin north and Nasca drainage south. Comprises 15 hilltop lines: 28–55 m trident, 62 m double-linear avenue along crest spine, and 16 m feline with additive ear stones. Built on tabular ignimbrite with dark varnish cleared to pale tuff; crest winds maintain high contrast. Associated with Early Nasca to Wari sherds and hilltop apacheta cairns; LiDAR 2022 shows avenue aligns to Puquio–Nazca caravan pass solstice azimuth 292°. Exposed ridge threatened by wind turbine prospect.
Why it mattersOnly Chaviña ridge-crest (vs pampa-fan) geoglyphs with documented archaeoastronomical alignment.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Trident symbol—plant vs ritual trident
Theories
- 01Solstice pass marker
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.200 BCE – 700 CE
- Period
- Early Nasca to Wari
- Culture
- Nasca–Huarpa–Wari
- Builders
- Lucanas ridge communities
- Purpose
- Ridge crest marking and solstice-oriented caravan pass signal
- Abandoned
- c.850 CE
- Rediscovered
- 2020 Ayacucho ridge survey; 2022 LiDAR solstice analysis
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
200 BCE
Earliest feline figures
2022
LiDAR confirms 292° solstice alignment
On the ground
Structures & features
14.9560° S · 73.8300° W · 3420 m · 2 mapped features
Crest Trident
geoglyph55-m trident with three prongs along ridge
14.9540° S · 73.8280° WNorth Ridge Double Avenue
earthwork62-m double line following crest spine
14.9580° S · 73.8320° W