Garagay — Central Pyramid (Early Formative)
Initial Period to Early Horizon, c.1400–850 BCE (peak 1200–900 BCE)·Manchay / Chavín (Early Formative)·🇵🇪 Lima Province, San Martín de Porres, Rímac Basin, Peru
About
About Garagay — Central Pyramid (Early Formative)
Central pyramid at Garagay (c.1400–850 BCE, Initial/Formative Manchay/Chavín), 250 × 200 m base area (3 pyramids: Central 28 m high, north and south arms), U-shaped with atrium. Ravines & Wallis excavated 1960s uncovering polychrome reliefs (spider, condor, pampas cat) of Chavín style on façade. Re-excavated by Fuentes 2017 revealing better-preserved earlier friezes. Lima's earliest painted temple.
Why it mattersLima's oldest polychrome temple; links coastal Manchay to highland Chavín.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Why Garagay abandoned then Manchay collapses 500 BCE
Theories
- 01Garagay as Lima Formative counterpart to Chavín de Huántar
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.1400 BCE, repainted c.1000 and 850 BCE
- Period
- Initial Period to Early Horizon, c.1400–850 BCE (peak 1200–900 BCE)
- Culture
- Manchay / Chavín (Early Formative)
- Builders
- Rímac valley Formative
- Purpose
- Painted temple — U-shaped pyramid with polychrome Chavín-style sculpture
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.1400 BCE, repainted c.1000 and 850 BCE
Initial construction / foundation
c.800 CE
Major refurbishment / enlargement phase
c.1100 CE
Abandonment or conversion
1890–1930
Modern rediscovery and first scientific survey
On the ground
Structures & features
12.0050° S · 77.0840° W · 140 m · 2 mapped features
Central atrium polychrome reliefs (spider deity)
reliefAtrium facade with 2-m spider deity and Chavín cat-raptor reliefs in six colours
12.0049° S · 77.0839° WSouth lateral mound and sunken court
moundSouthern arm mound with sunken court and pigment workshop debris
12.0051° S · 77.0841° W