Chanquillo

Chankillo is an ancient monumental complex in Peru's coastal desert, located in the Casma-Sechin basin of Áncash Department. The ruins include a hilltop fort, thirteen stone towers forming a solar observatory dating to the 3rd century BC, and residential and gathering areas [1]. The Thirteen Towers represent one of the oldest known astronomical observatories in the Americas, used to track solar alignments throughout the year [1]. The site was constructed by the Casma/Sechin culture (Sechin Complex) and earned UNESCO World Heritage status in July 2021 [1].