Paracas Candelabra
Encyclopedia
The Paracas Candelabra, also called the Candelabra of the Andes, is a well-known prehistoric geoglyph
found on the northern face of the Paracas Peninsula
at Pisco Bay in Peru
. Pottery found nearby has been radio carbon dated to 200 BCE, the time of the Paracas culture
. The design is cut two feet into the soil, with stones possibly from a later date placed around it. The figure is 595 feet tall, large enough to be seen 12 miles at sea.
It is approximately 595 feet long, and is visible for several miles out to sea. The geoglyph consists of 2 foot (0.6096 m) trenches carved into the hillside and stones used to mark its edges. Other lines are also carved into the hillside near it.
Local tradition holds that it represents the lightning rod
or staff of the god Viracocha
, who was worshipped throughout South America. A variety of popular myths have arisen: one attributes it to José de San Martín
; another suggests it is a Masonic symbol (see Freemasonry
); and yet another that sailors created it as a sign which they could view at sea for landfall.
Visitors to the Candelabra should view the site under the supervision of a responsible and accredited guide.
, who was seen in mythology throughout South America. It has been suggested that the Candelabra was built as a sign to sailors, or even as a symbolic representation of a hallucinogenic plant called Jimson weed.
The Candelabra was first discovered by Spanish explorers in South America.
Geoglyph
A geoglyph is a large design or motif produced on the ground and typically formed by clastic rocks or similarly durable elements of the geography, such as stones, stone fragments, gravel, or earth...
found on the northern face of the Paracas Peninsula
Paracas Peninsula
The Paracas Peninsula is a desert peninsula within the boundaries of the Paracas National Reservation, a marine reserve which extends south along the coast. The only marine reserve in Peru, it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site....
at Pisco Bay in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. Pottery found nearby has been radio carbon dated to 200 BCE, the time of the Paracas culture
Paracas culture
The Paracas culture was an important Andean society between approximately 800 BCE and 100 BCE, with an extensive knowledge of irrigation and water management. It developed in the Paracas Peninsula, located in what today is the Paracas District of the Pisco Province in the Ica Region...
. The design is cut two feet into the soil, with stones possibly from a later date placed around it. The figure is 595 feet tall, large enough to be seen 12 miles at sea.
It is approximately 595 feet long, and is visible for several miles out to sea. The geoglyph consists of 2 foot (0.6096 m) trenches carved into the hillside and stones used to mark its edges. Other lines are also carved into the hillside near it.
Local tradition holds that it represents the lightning rod
Lightning rod
A lightning rod or lightning conductor is a metal rod or conductor mounted on top of a building and electrically connected to the ground through a wire, to protect the building in the event of lightning...
or staff of the god Viracocha
Viracocha
Viracocha is the great creator god in the pre-Inca and Inca mythology in the Andes region of South America. Full name and some spelling alternatives are Apu Qun Tiqsi Wiraqutra and Con-Tici Viracocha...
, who was worshipped throughout South America. A variety of popular myths have arisen: one attributes it to José de San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
; another suggests it is a Masonic symbol (see Freemasonry
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
); and yet another that sailors created it as a sign which they could view at sea for landfall.
Visitors to the Candelabra should view the site under the supervision of a responsible and accredited guide.
History
Although the exact age of the Candelabra geoglpyh is unknown, archaeologists have found pottery around the site dating back to around 200 B.C. This pottery likely belonged to the Paracas people, although whether they were involved in the creation of the geoglyph is not known. The reason for the Candelabra's creation is also unknown, although it is most likely a representation of the trident, a lightning rod of the god ViracochaViracocha
Viracocha is the great creator god in the pre-Inca and Inca mythology in the Andes region of South America. Full name and some spelling alternatives are Apu Qun Tiqsi Wiraqutra and Con-Tici Viracocha...
, who was seen in mythology throughout South America. It has been suggested that the Candelabra was built as a sign to sailors, or even as a symbolic representation of a hallucinogenic plant called Jimson weed.
The Candelabra was first discovered by Spanish explorers in South America.
External links
- http://www.kmatthews.org.uk/cult_archaeology/out_of_place_artefacts_13.html