Paracas Candelabra
Candelabra of the Andes · Candlestick of Paracas · Andean Candelabra
Early Horizon, Paracas culture 200 BCE–100 BCE·Paracas culture, precursor to Nazca·🇵🇪 Ica Region (Paracas Peninsula), Peru
About
About Paracas Candelabra
Giant hillside trench geoglyph 181 m tall × 70 m wide cut 0.6 m deep into hard sandstone on Paracas Peninsula facing sea (Paracas culture 200 BCE–100 BCE). Called candelabra but resembles cactus/trident/prickly pear; sailors' beacon hypothesis popular. National Reserva Paracas protects; almost invisible archaeologically due to wind erasure debate but hard rock preserves.
Why it mattersOnly hill-cut (vs desert-pavement) Peruvian coastal geoglyph of such scale; maritime counterpart to Nazca
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Beacon vs religious vs plant depiction trichotomy
- 02Association with Nazca straight lines inland hypothesis
Theories
- 01Wari / Inca later maintained beacon theory
- 02Cactus symbol of shamanic san pedro
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.200–100 BCE stylistic to Paracas ceramics
- Period
- Early Horizon, Paracas culture 200 BCE–100 BCE
- Culture
- Paracas culture, precursor to Nazca
- Purpose
- Route marker / votive to creator god Viracocha / astronomical pointer debated
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
100 BCE
Paracas Candelabra likely cut
1960
Maria Reiche studied it contextualized
On the ground
Structures & features
13.7941° S · 76.3099° W · 200 m · 2 mapped features
Candelabra central shaft
geoglyphCentral trench 181 m long with three branches upward, 0.6 m deep cut
13.7941° S · 76.3098° WViewing bay (Pacific approach)
viewpointSeaward approach where figure visible 20 km offshore
13.7935° S · 76.3105° W
Gallery