Montegrande Pyramid — Cajamarca Temple of Death
Montegrande · Montegrande Cajamarca · Temple of Death
Late Preceramic to Early Formative (Jaén phase)·Marañón/Cajamarca Cupisnique-related / Early Formative·🇵🇪 Cajamarca, Jaén, Montegrande, Amojú River, Peru
About
About Montegrande Pyramid — Cajamarca Temple of Death
Formerly enigmatic spiral mound in Cajamarca's Amojú Valley (Jaén) Montegrande — massive 600 × 300 × 8 m oval platform with spiral temple 72 m diameter containing Chamber of Death (c. 1000–800 BCE, Early Formative Cupisnique/Chavínoid?) and 40 burials including 1800 BCE 'Lord of Montegrande' with Spondylus. More spectacular 2010 discovery: 3000 BCE circular temple with frieze under spiral shows Preceramic origins pushing Amazon-Andean early temple tradition. Excavated by Quirino Olivera Nuñez (2010–) with Jaén municipality; eyeliner burial. Re-evaluated as terraformed hill, not only human-made platform.
Why it mattersAmazon-Andean Formative spiral tradition linking Pacopampa–Montegrande; re-dates spiral temples to Preceramic; Cajamarca heartland before highland empire.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether spiral hill entirely anthropogenic or terraformed natural
- 02Lord of Montegrande dating — 1800 BCE vs 800 BCE
Theories
- 01Spiral as Amazon iconography diffusing to Andes
- 02Marañón corridor as Formative axis
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. 3000–800 BCE (Late Preceramic spiral temple 3000 BCE, Formative spiral 1000 BCE)
- Period
- Late Preceramic to Early Formative (Jaén phase)
- Culture
- Marañón/Cajamarca Cupisnique-related / Early Formative
- Builders
- Montegrande builders / Cupisnique sphere
- Purpose
- Spiral pyramid with death cult and early temple
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c. 3000–800 BCE (Late Preceramic spiral temple 3000 BCE, Formative spiral 1000 BCE)
Initial construction
c. 1461 CE
Rediscovery
On the ground
Structures & features
5.7158° S · 78.7936° W · 450 m · 3 mapped features
Spiral temple 72 m
pyramidCoiled spiral wall forming pyramid
5.7159° S · 78.7937° WChamber of Death
tombCentral burial chamber with 40 individuals
5.7158° S · 78.7936° W3000 BCE circular temple under
templeEarlier circular temple beneath spiral
5.7157° S · 78.7935° W
Gallery