Chankillo,+Casma+Valley

//Chankillo//

[|Chankillo] (Figure 9), established in the Late Early Horizon- only a few hundred years after the abandonment of Cerro Sechin, is a site found in the Casma Valley, thoroughly excavated by Ivan Ghezzi and reported on in his article "Religious warfare at Chankillo" (Ghezzi 2006:67). The characteristics of this site are extremely prominent at first glance. Moseley accurately describes Chankillo as, “an Old World Citadel, with two interior towers and a rectangular compound of rooms encircled by three concentric perimeter walls each replete with masonry parapets, and narrow entrances backed by bulwarks” (Moseley 2001:175). These fantastic walls extend 180m from the ground, reaching towards the heavens (Ghezzi 2006:70). The interpretation of this site is one that has great changed over time. This site is clearly a fortification, but what the site was fortifying is a heated debate.

The interpretation of Chankillo being a military fortification is supported by the collected artifacts that are protected by its 3 parapet walls (Ghezzi 2006:74-75). A common ceramic figurine that is found within Chankillo is that of a warrior (Figure 10), interpreted to be so due to the figurines combative position and various weapons in hand (Ghezzi 2006:72). This clearly suggests the importance of conflict at this site. As far as weaponry, mace heads, [|sling stones], and stone missiles are found within the site and at the “prehistoric battlefield” that is found outside of Chankillo in the surrounding dessert area and hillside (Ghezzi 2006:74). This battlefield is characterized by not only weaponry, but “small temporary structures and windbreakers made of stone” (Ghezzi 2006:74). All of this clearly points to warfare, archaeologists find evidence against its strategic planning. Although fortified doors are present (Figure 11), they open to the exterior, allowing invaders easy access (Mosley 2001:175). Also no water is found within the site, forcing residences to leave the fortification to fetch it (Ghezzi 2006:67,69). This obviously shows, strategic warfare was not the first objective to Chankillo's construction.

The greatest change of interpretation comes from the excavation of the center structure of Chankillo, known as the Temple of Pillars (Ghezzi 2006). The Temple of Pillars, built within the fortification so that it aligns with the December solstice, is actually a U- shaped ceremonial center with “2 lateral staircases that line up with those below” that again brings in the ideas of dualism within Andean religion and society (Ghezzi 2006:77). The structure allows for large numbers of people to be within it during public ceremonies (Ghezzi 2006:77). The temple itself is clearly ceremonial, for domesticate trash was not found and the iconography on the walls represent the supernatural (Ghezzi 2006:78).These supernatural representations bring the idea of duality into an even more prominent view. Ghezzi informs us that the eastern wall mural “represents 2 front-facing, alternated anthropomorphic heads, with possible bird and spider attributes…Overall the design gives the distinct impression of being a synthesis of well- known icons” (Ghezzi 2006:77-78). Just as we have seen before, opposing forces are coming together to make one central figure, showing this location was a part of the sacred, cosmological dualistic theme.

With the importance of religious ceremony concluded at Chankillo, one still has to wonder about the need of such defense. Obviously warfare was a threat but not their greatest concern (Ghezzi 2006:80). The defense system as flawed, as it was, did inevitably fail, for the temple was not buried as in many abandonments of Andean sites but truly destroyed (Ghezzi 2006:79). Chankillo suggests the idea of religious tinku of cosmological duality taking place, as two opposing religious ideas come together, creating religious warfare (Ghezzi 2006:80). Ghezzi even goes on to say, “The threat of total destruction may have been key to justifying leadership and the mobilization of public labor to erect massive fortifications to protect gods and their temples from the dangers of a world in which holy wars were fought to destroy” (Ghezzi 2006:80). Opposing ideas between religious ideas were colliding, between the gods of different areas. Obviously, once again, tinku is found in the realm of cosmological dualism, bringing all of these ideas together.