282
time of the major standstill) or close to the outer walls (at around the time of the
minor standstill) rather than towards the centre of the range.
It cannot be proved that these alignments were deliberate, but they do highlight
the possibility that sunrise observations from the WOP were preceded or accompanied by observations of full moonset over the Fortified Temple from the opposite
entrance. Ceremonies held at the full moon nearest a solstice, combining observations of the rising sun and of the setting full moon, are documented in other cultures
(Ruggles, 2014). At Chankillo, it is likely that ceremonies relating both to the sun
and moon took place at the full moon nearest the December solstice.
3.3 Light-and-Shadow Hierophanies: The Back Walls
and Slitted Pillars of the Atrium Gallery and Room 3
Gallery Within the Temple of the Pillars
The slitted pillars lining the galleries at the back of the atrium and Room 3 in the
Temple of Pillars faced the eastern horizon directly, unblocked by intervening walls.
In the darkened spaces of the pillared galleries, the early morning sunlight, shining
in between the pillars and (at certain times of year) through the slits, would have
created a spectacular display on the back walls.
3.3.1 Sunlight on the Back Walls
If the roof of the long gallery in the atrium was 2 m high and it extended beyond the
front of the platform, then it would have measured some 7.5 m from front to back.
If so, then once the sun’s altitude exceeded ~15°, sunlight could not reach the back
wall. In the case of the gallery in Room 3, assuming a height of 2 m and an extent
about 10 m from front to back, this would have been true once the sun reached an
altitude of ~11°. At Chankillo, the sun reaches an altitude of 11° ~20–30 min after
sunrise, and an altitude of 15° ~40–50 min after sunrise, depending upon the time
of year. Thus, ~25 min after sunrise each morning during the year, sunlight would
have been low enough to light the back wall of the gallery in Room 3; while for
~45 min it would have been low enough to light the back wall of the long gallery in
the atrium. If a given roof extended out further, the length of time during which
sunlight could have struck the corresponding back wall would have been somewhat
less; if the gallery roof was higher it would have been somewhat greater.
On days around the December solstice, when the sun rose close to the direction
faced by the Temple (119.0°) and at altitude of 3.6°, the effect in both galleries
would have been to create vertical stripes of light and shade of more or less equal
width (1.0 m), extending up the back wall to about 0.45 m from the top, in the case
of the long gallery in the atrium, and about 0.65 m, in the case of the Room 3
gallery. If the height of the platform retaining wall (front wall) was no more than
I. Ghezzi
time of the major standstill) or close to the outer walls (at around the time of the
minor standstill) rather than towards the centre of the range.
It cannot be proved that these alignments were deliberate, but they do highlight
the possibility that sunrise observations from the WOP were preceded or accompanied by observations of full moonset over the Fortified Temple from the opposite
entrance. Ceremonies held at the full moon nearest a solstice, combining observations of the rising sun and of the setting full moon, are documented in other cultures
(Ruggles, 2014). At Chankillo, it is likely that ceremonies relating both to the sun
and moon took place at the full moon nearest the December solstice.
3.3 Light-and-Shadow Hierophanies: The Back Walls
and Slitted Pillars of the Atrium Gallery and Room 3
Gallery Within the Temple of the Pillars
The slitted pillars lining the galleries at the back of the atrium and Room 3 in the
Temple of Pillars faced the eastern horizon directly, unblocked by intervening walls.
In the darkened spaces of the pillared galleries, the early morning sunlight, shining
in between the pillars and (at certain times of year) through the slits, would have
created a spectacular display on the back walls.
3.3.1 Sunlight on the Back Walls
If the roof of the long gallery in the atrium was 2 m high and it extended beyond the
front of the platform, then it would have measured some 7.5 m from front to back.
If so, then once the sun’s altitude exceeded ~15°, sunlight could not reach the back
wall. In the case of the gallery in Room 3, assuming a height of 2 m and an extent
about 10 m from front to back, this would have been true once the sun reached an
altitude of ~11°. At Chankillo, the sun reaches an altitude of 11° ~20–30 min after
sunrise, and an altitude of 15° ~40–50 min after sunrise, depending upon the time
of year. Thus, ~25 min after sunrise each morning during the year, sunlight would
have been low enough to light the back wall of the gallery in Room 3; while for
~45 min it would have been low enough to light the back wall of the long gallery in
the atrium. If a given roof extended out further, the length of time during which
sunlight could have struck the corresponding back wall would have been somewhat
less; if the gallery roof was higher it would have been somewhat greater.
On days around the December solstice, when the sun rose close to the direction
faced by the Temple (119.0°) and at altitude of 3.6°, the effect in both galleries
would have been to create vertical stripes of light and shade of more or less equal
width (1.0 m), extending up the back wall to about 0.45 m from the top, in the case
of the long gallery in the atrium, and about 0.65 m, in the case of the Room 3
gallery. If the height of the platform retaining wall (front wall) was no more than
I. Ghezzi