Archaeologists from Stanford University have discovered a system of hidden tunnels beneath the 3,000-year-old Chavin de Huantar temple Complex in the Ancash region of Peru.
Chavin de Huantar is thought to have been occupied as early as 3,000 BC, although archaeological finds and the earliest ruins date back to 1,200 BC, with the Pre-Inca Chavin Culture thriving there from 900 BC. This heart of this culture was Chavin de Huantar, and it stayed that way for more than 600 years.
The huge temple complex was a major ceremonial and administrative centre, as well as a place of public gathering. It was maybe home to an oracle and a place of pilgrimage for many.
The existence of the new tunnel system has been known about since 2019 when archaeologists used a robotic camera to explore a small duct in the temple’s Building D. Sadly, work was suspended due to the pandemic, but last month archaeologists were finally able to confirm what the cameras saw in 2019.
Watch the video to learn more about this new discovery and take a look at what was found inside.
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