CASMA, PERU—Andina News Agency reports that archaeologist Ivan Ghezzi Solis and his colleagues have discovered traces of older structures at the Chankillo Archaeoastronomical Complex, which is located on the coast of western Peru’s Casma Valley. The site features a hilltop fort and the Thirteen Towers solar observatory, dated to the third century B.C. “There are structures that apparently had an astronomical function long before Chankillo,” Solis said. “They have an astronomical orientation and feature different construction techniques, using stone, mud, and adobe,” he added. The researchers also found a corridor that faces west and the site’s fortified temple, that is aligned with the moon. “We now have a richer interpretation of Chankillo as a site for both solar and lunar observations,” he concluded. To read about a recent study of an Inca recordkeeping device, go to "A Knotty Problem."
