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All Peru Nazca Cahuachi
AO Edited

Cahuachi

Nazca pilgrimage site covering 370 acres is a popular stop for archeologists and looters.

Nazca, Peru

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ser flac
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Cahuachi   Ed88/CC BY-SA 3.0
Cahuachi   Ed88/CC BY-SA 3.0
Cahuachi   Andreas König/CC BY-SA 3.0
Cahuachi   Andreas König/CC BY-SA 3.0
Cahuachi   Andreas König/CC BY-SA 3.0
Cahuachi   Marcela Hernandez/CC BY 2.0
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Pottery found at Cahuachi   Marie Thérèse Hébert & Jean Robert Thibault/CC BY-SA 2.0
Skulls found at Cahuachi   Marie Thérèse Hébert & Jean Robert Thibault/CC BY-SA 2.0
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Cahuachi was once one of the most important and largest ceremonial centers for the Nazca culture in Peru. Covering 0.6 sq. miles (1.5 square kilometers) and containing over 40 mounds providing a base to adobe structures, the area is thought to have been a pilgrimage site, its population ebbing and flowing in relation to ceremonial events.

Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Orefici has been heading excavation and research of the site for several decades, and American archeologist Helaine Silverman has also studied the site extensively throughout the years. Their findings have supported the theories that this area was not the bustling capital of the state of Nazca as previously thought, but a place for people to gather in prayer.

While it may have been a sacred place in ancient times, it now often falls prey to looters, who find the burial site rich with artifacts too tempting to ignore. Cahuachi overlooks some of the Nazca Lines, an intriguing archeological mystery that Orefici is sure Cahuachi holds the key to.

Still delivering mummies, artifacts, jewelry and priceless information about the civilization from 1500 years ago, these seemingly plain ruins are a fascinating spot to tour in Peru, and provide a window into a mystical past still being uncovered.

Related Tags

Mummies Lost Tribes Architectural Oddities Sacred Spaces Ruins Architecture

Know Before You Go

Cahuachi Ceremonial Center is in the Nazca River Valley, 28 km from the town of that name. Many tours are available through various tour companies.

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Added By

serflac

Edited By

fernandoespejo29, Molly McBride Jacobson, Michelle Cassidy

  • fernandoespejo29
  • Molly McBride Jacobson
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

July 5, 2012

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Sources
  • http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/1999/nasca_script.shtml
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cahuachi
  • http://www.perucheaptours.com/cahuachi/
  • http://www.emotiontourperu.com
Cahuachi
Ciudad Perdida de Cahuachi
La Yapana
Nazca, 11400
Peru
-14.818165, -75.116888
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

Nazca Lines

Nazca, Peru

miles away

Nazca Lines Observation Tower

Nazca, Peru

miles away

Maria Reiche Museum

Nazca, Peru

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Nazca

Nazca

Peru

Places 9
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Nazca Lines

Nazca, Peru

miles away

Nazca Lines Observation Tower

Nazca, Peru

miles away

Maria Reiche Museum

Nazca, Peru

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Nazca

Nazca

Peru

Places 9
Stories 1

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