276
3 Tangible Manifestations of Astronomy at Chankillo
In the previous section, various tangible astronomical elements at Chankillo were
presented in their broader archaeological context. Here we describe various astronomical viewsheds, sightlines and light-and-shadow displays, focusing upon the
nature of these astronomical elements themselves, including necessary technical
detail, and their interrelationships. These elements, which feature both constructed
and natural sub-elements, can be summarized as follows:
(a) Chankillo Solar Observatory (Thirteen Towers, WOP, EOP), from which the
profile of the towers spanned the annual sunrise and sunset arcs, respectively:
• The viewshed from WOP to the Thirteen Towers, together with part of
Cerro Mucho Malo: the WOP, an open entranceway on the ESE side of the
Observatory Building, is well attested archaeologically both as a viewing
position and a location of considerable ceremonial importance accessible
only to elite participants;
• The viewshed from EOP to the Thirteen Towers: the EOP was a room or
platform in an isolated small building in the plaza to the east, now largely
destroyed, except for its foundations.
(b) The viewshed from the entrance to the Temple of the Pillars to the distant
mountainous horizon profile to the east, which features a prominent horizon
notch precisely at the position of equinoctial sunrise. Together with part of
Cerro Mucho Malo, this profile includes the annual solar rising arc; it is a solar
horizon calendar that is a likely precursor for the Chankillo Solar Observatory;
(c) The viewshed from the WNW entrance of the Observatory Building to the
Fortified Temple, which dominates the horizon in this direction, where astronomical observations would have focused upon the setting moon;
(d) The back walls and slitted pillars of the Atrium gallery and Room 3 gallery
within the Temple of the Pillars. Although the in situ physical evidence is
largely destroyed, it is highly likely these would have produced a series of
spectacular light and shadow effects during the minutes following sunrise,
orchestrated to span the entire year, with the slits producing particularly
dramatic effects for a few weeks around the December solstice;
(e) The sightline from certain limited areas in the plaza to the entrance to the
Temple of the Pillars, a key position from which high-status individuals could
have presided over ceremonials, but also where they would have stood in full
view at the point of entry to (or emergence from) the Temple itself. From certain small areas in the plaza, Temple officials standing at the entrance could
have been seen with the sun or moon setting behind them, thus providing a kind
of ‘hierophany for the masses’; and,
(f) The solstitial axis connecting the Temple of the Pillars, the Observatory
Building and the Administrative Centre, which also passes through the gap
between Towers 12 and 13, where the southern end of the line of towers bends
round until it is perpendicular to this axis. The orientation of this site axis is
I. Ghezzi
3 Tangible Manifestations of Astronomy at Chankillo
In the previous section, various tangible astronomical elements at Chankillo were
presented in their broader archaeological context. Here we describe various astronomical viewsheds, sightlines and light-and-shadow displays, focusing upon the
nature of these astronomical elements themselves, including necessary technical
detail, and their interrelationships. These elements, which feature both constructed
and natural sub-elements, can be summarized as follows:
(a) Chankillo Solar Observatory (Thirteen Towers, WOP, EOP), from which the
profile of the towers spanned the annual sunrise and sunset arcs, respectively:
• The viewshed from WOP to the Thirteen Towers, together with part of
Cerro Mucho Malo: the WOP, an open entranceway on the ESE side of the
Observatory Building, is well attested archaeologically both as a viewing
position and a location of considerable ceremonial importance accessible
only to elite participants;
• The viewshed from EOP to the Thirteen Towers: the EOP was a room or
platform in an isolated small building in the plaza to the east, now largely
destroyed, except for its foundations.
(b) The viewshed from the entrance to the Temple of the Pillars to the distant
mountainous horizon profile to the east, which features a prominent horizon
notch precisely at the position of equinoctial sunrise. Together with part of
Cerro Mucho Malo, this profile includes the annual solar rising arc; it is a solar
horizon calendar that is a likely precursor for the Chankillo Solar Observatory;
(c) The viewshed from the WNW entrance of the Observatory Building to the
Fortified Temple, which dominates the horizon in this direction, where astronomical observations would have focused upon the setting moon;
(d) The back walls and slitted pillars of the Atrium gallery and Room 3 gallery
within the Temple of the Pillars. Although the in situ physical evidence is
largely destroyed, it is highly likely these would have produced a series of
spectacular light and shadow effects during the minutes following sunrise,
orchestrated to span the entire year, with the slits producing particularly
dramatic effects for a few weeks around the December solstice;
(e) The sightline from certain limited areas in the plaza to the entrance to the
Temple of the Pillars, a key position from which high-status individuals could
have presided over ceremonials, but also where they would have stood in full
view at the point of entry to (or emergence from) the Temple itself. From certain small areas in the plaza, Temple officials standing at the entrance could
have been seen with the sun or moon setting behind them, thus providing a kind
of ‘hierophany for the masses’; and,
(f) The solstitial axis connecting the Temple of the Pillars, the Observatory
Building and the Administrative Centre, which also passes through the gap
between Towers 12 and 13, where the southern end of the line of towers bends
round until it is perpendicular to this axis. The orientation of this site axis is
I. Ghezzi