Chankillo is an ancient ceremonial and observatory site in the coastal desert of the Casma valley in Peru. Its main feature is a line of thirteen stone towers along a ridge, which together act as a solar calendar. Observers standing at two fixed points on either side can watch the sun rise or set between particular towers during the year, marking the solstices and dates in between with an accuracy of a day or two. The site, dated to around the fourth century BCE, also has a hilltop fortified temple. It is considered the oldest known solar observatory in the Americas, and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2021.
Before and after
- from 4th century BCE to 5th centuryXiongnu
- 4th century BCEPublication of Arthashastra
- from 4th century BCE to 4th centuryFounding of Library of Alexandria
- 4th century BCEOrigins of Paris
- 300 BCEFounding of Chankillo
- from 300 BCE to 1279Chola dynasty
- from 300 BCE to 250 CEYayoi period
- from 299 BCE to 580 CEKingdom of Iberia
- 287 BCEBirth of Archimedes
More in Universe & space
- 241 BCEChinese astronomers record Halley's Comet
- 44 BCEDiscovery of Caesar's Comet
- 185 CEChinese astronomers record the supernova of 185
- 278 CEDiscovery of 278 Paulina
- 13 March 1781Discovery of Uranus
- 23 September 1846Discovery of Neptune
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 3rd century BCE.