Chaviña Pampa South Sector Geoglyphs (Quebrada Chaviña Sur)
Chaviña Sur Geoglyphs · Pampa Chaviña South Lines
Nasca-Huari Transition to Middle Horizon·Huarpa–Wari (Lucanas)·🇵🇪 Ayacucho Region, Lucanas Province, Chaviña District South, Peru
About
About Chaviña Pampa South Sector Geoglyphs (Quebrada Chaviña Sur)
South-bank extension of Chaviña Pampa hill figures on arid pampa south of Chaviña town (3,280 m). Covers 42 ha of ignimbrite slope with 20+ figures on 8° fan: 22–38 m spiral circles, 52 m stepped rhombus, 18 m camelid row, and 70 m rectilinear avenue with side cairns. Technique combines cleared pavement (pale tuff) and additive stone rings (dark andesite). Associated with Huarpa ceramics and Lucanas rock art; Sondondo valley survey (Meddens 2019) ties to Wari-period caravan outpost (600–850 CE) linking Nasca lowlands to Ayacucho highlands. Windswept pampa offers 180° visibility toward Puquio pass.
Why it mattersLucanas south fan linking Nasca pampas to Ayacucho Wari highland corridor.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Spiral meaning—astronomical vs water vortex
Theories
- 01Wari caravan control point
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 – 850 CE
- Period
- Nasca-Huari Transition to Middle Horizon
- Culture
- Huarpa–Wari (Lucanas)
- Builders
- Lucanas highland caravaneers
- Purpose
- Pampa wayfinding and quebrada water-source marking
- Abandoned
- c.900 CE
- Rediscovered
- 2018 Sondondo valley survey extension to Chaviña south
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
400 CE
Earliest spiral circles
2018
Sondondo–Wari occupation survey records 20 figures
On the ground
Structures & features
14.9980° S · 73.8420° W · 3280 m · 2 mapped features
South Spiral Field
geoglyph22-m triple spiral with central cairn
14.9960° S · 73.8400° WStepped Rhombus Avenue
earthwork52-m rhombus attached to 70-m avenue
15.0000° S · 73.8440° W