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2.1.3 Eastern Observing Point (EOP)
A small building 200 m east of the Thirteen Towers contains what has been identified as the EOP (Ghezzi & Ruggles, 2007); the building no longer stands, due to its
proximity to areas of human and animal transit, but its foundations partially survive
below the surface, in their original orientation and position. The location of this
structure mirrors almost exactly the WOP: it has the same distance to the towers and
a similar elevation, and both are aligned on an E–W axis perpendicular to the
Thirteen Towers.
No other built feature was identified by survey or excavation in this area (Ghezzi,
2003b). Recent subsurface remote sensing (Huayhua & Sueldo, 2018) confirms that
this structure is completely isolated in a 200 m by 160 m survey area of open space
bounded by the Administrative Centre and the hill where the Thirteen Towers are
found. It is possible that the structure is larger than revealed by excavations. The
small uncertainty in the exact location of the EOP is insufficient to affect the conclusion, clearly revealed by the archaeoastronomical data, that this small building,
broadly solstitially aligned like the rest of the site, included an entrance or platform
that acted as a fixed observing point to view the seasonal passage of the sun over the
Thirteen Towers. From here, the line of visible towers coincides with the range of
sunset positions throughout the solar year.
2.2 Fortified Temple
It is a large (55.134 m
2
) hilltop building composed of three inner structures (a rectangular temple and two keeps with a circular ground plan) surrounded by three
concentric ovoid defensive walls through which large baffled gates provide access
to the interior.
2.2.1 Temple of the Pillars
A rectangular building (51.6 × 38.7 m, 1.992.7 m
2
) composed of an atrium with four
interconnected rooms at the back; perimeter walls yield a WNW–ESE orientation of
119.0°/299.0°, and a SSW–NNE orientation of 25.4°/205.4°, respectively; thus,
they deviate by 3.6° from perpendicularity. The level of precision achieved at
Chankillo —especially the geometrical precision of the Fortified Temple’s defensive walls— implies that this was done for a reason beyond the uneven terrain. The
WNW–ESE orientation is broadly solstitial, like the rest of the site. The SSW–NNE
orientation coincides closely with that of the line of centres of the two circular structures inside the Platform and to some extent with that of the WNW segments of the
defensive walls. It has no astronomical significance. The atrium is a rectangular
The Chankillo Solar Observatory and Ceremonial Centre: A Heritage for the World
2.1.3 Eastern Observing Point (EOP)
A small building 200 m east of the Thirteen Towers contains what has been identified as the EOP (Ghezzi & Ruggles, 2007); the building no longer stands, due to its
proximity to areas of human and animal transit, but its foundations partially survive
below the surface, in their original orientation and position. The location of this
structure mirrors almost exactly the WOP: it has the same distance to the towers and
a similar elevation, and both are aligned on an E–W axis perpendicular to the
Thirteen Towers.
No other built feature was identified by survey or excavation in this area (Ghezzi,
2003b). Recent subsurface remote sensing (Huayhua & Sueldo, 2018) confirms that
this structure is completely isolated in a 200 m by 160 m survey area of open space
bounded by the Administrative Centre and the hill where the Thirteen Towers are
found. It is possible that the structure is larger than revealed by excavations. The
small uncertainty in the exact location of the EOP is insufficient to affect the conclusion, clearly revealed by the archaeoastronomical data, that this small building,
broadly solstitially aligned like the rest of the site, included an entrance or platform
that acted as a fixed observing point to view the seasonal passage of the sun over the
Thirteen Towers. From here, the line of visible towers coincides with the range of
sunset positions throughout the solar year.
2.2 Fortified Temple
It is a large (55.134 m
2
) hilltop building composed of three inner structures (a rectangular temple and two keeps with a circular ground plan) surrounded by three
concentric ovoid defensive walls through which large baffled gates provide access
to the interior.
2.2.1 Temple of the Pillars
A rectangular building (51.6 × 38.7 m, 1.992.7 m
2
) composed of an atrium with four
interconnected rooms at the back; perimeter walls yield a WNW–ESE orientation of
119.0°/299.0°, and a SSW–NNE orientation of 25.4°/205.4°, respectively; thus,
they deviate by 3.6° from perpendicularity. The level of precision achieved at
Chankillo —especially the geometrical precision of the Fortified Temple’s defensive walls— implies that this was done for a reason beyond the uneven terrain. The
WNW–ESE orientation is broadly solstitial, like the rest of the site. The SSW–NNE
orientation coincides closely with that of the line of centres of the two circular structures inside the Platform and to some extent with that of the WNW segments of the
defensive walls. It has no astronomical significance. The atrium is a rectangular
The Chankillo Solar Observatory and Ceremonial Centre: A Heritage for the World