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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.[1] The design is cut two feet (0.61 m) into the soil, with stones possibly from a later date placed around it. The figure is 600 feet (180 meters) tall, large enough to be seen 12 miles (19.3 km) at sea.[1]
In 2016, it was designated as a national heritage site by Peru, with Peruvian law dictating a jail term of between three and six years for anyone damaging any archaeological monument.[2]
History
A variety of popular myths have arisen about the geoglyph: one attributes it to José de San Martín, a 19th-century leader in the fight for independence; another suggests it is a Masonic symbol; and yet another that sailors created it as a sign which they could view at sea for landfall. Some believe it represents the motif known as a Mesoamerican world tree.
Although the exact age of the Candelabra geoglyph is unknown, archaeologists have found pottery around the site dating to around 200 BCE. This pottery likely belonged to the Paracas people. It is not known whether they constructed the geoglyph.
The purpose of the Candelabra's creation is also unknown.
See also
References
- ^ a b Jennifer Nalewicki. "Where to See Five of the Planet's Most Mysterious Geoglyphs". Smithsonian Magazine.
- ^ "Tourists trample all over protected, prehistoric Peruvian hill carving". France24. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
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