19°56′56″S 69°37′59″W / 19.94889°S 69.63306°W
The Atacama Giant (Spanish: Gigante de Atacama) is an anthropomorphic geoglyph on the Cerro Unitas area of the Atacama Desert, Chile.[1] At about 119 meters (390 feet), is the largest prehistoric anthropomorphic geoglyph. It has been suggested that the petroglyph represents a shaman, spiritual figure or deity, but there is little evidence to corroborate these claims.[citation needed]
The figure was an early astronomical calendar for knowing where the moon would set; by knowing this the day, crop cycle, and season could be determined.[citation needed] The points on the top and side of the head would say what season it would be depending on their alignment with the moon, which was important in determining when the rainy season would come in the barren Atacama.[citation needed]
The Atacama Giant is one out of nearly 5,000 geoglyphs (ancient artwork that is drawn into the landscape) that have been discovered in the Atacama region in the last three decades.[2] It is believed that they are the work of several successive cultures that dwelt in this region of South America, including the Tiwanaku and Inca.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Atacama Giant". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
- ^ Hirst, K. Kris. "The Geoglyphic Art of Chile's Atacama Desert Messages, Memories and Rites of the Landscape". about.com. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
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