Chavin is a small (17 acre) fortress temple that was built in about 800 BC. It is the only known surviving example of the Chavin culture..

What is extraordinary about this site are the many tunnels inside the temple. Inside one the ‘Lanzon’, a 5m high carved stone monolith was found.

This is now in a Lima museum. I find this very frustrating, as the best pieces are often missing, either stolen or sitting many miles away. I wish they’d just leave them where they were found in the first place.

The stone objects found at Chavin indicate it was a cult based on jaguars, serpents and birds.