The Sechin Complex: Journey into the Remote Past of Pre-Columbian Peru
The Sechin Archaeological Complex, also referred to as Cerro Sechin or Sechin Estella, stands as one of Peru's oldest monumental sites. Discovered in 1937 by the renowned Peruvian archaeologist Julio C. Tello, the Sechin Complex remains one of the most extensively researched pre-Columbian sites, despite the limited knowledge about the culture that once inhabited it.
The Sechin Complex is an important pre-Inca archaeological site located on the northwest coast of Peru.
Occupied for most of the second millennium BC, scholars believe that the proto-urban settlement was the capital of the little-known Sechin culture.
Overall, the Sechin Complex included the sites of Sechin Bajo, Cerro Sechin, and Sechin Alto.
The complex is located in the Casma Valley, about 270 km north of Lima, and spans over 400 hectares, a truly remarkable size, certainly the largest of its era.
Discovered in 1937 by the renowned Peruvian archaeologist Julio C. Tello, the site is known for its megalithic architecture featuring several public monuments and ceremonial buildings.
The stone sculptures, undoubtedly the most emblematic feature of the complex, depict possible mythological or historical scenes, in which a procession of armed men, probably important figures or warriors, make their way among the mutilated remains of human victims. Given the rawness of the stone friezes, researchers believe that the Sechin culture was characterized by a certain degree of violence, with frequent wars and probable human sacrifices.
Although very little is known about the disappearance of the Sechin culture, the site appears to have been abandoned around 800 BC, simultaneously with the decline of other major ceremonial and public centers on the Peruvian coast.
Sechin Bajo
Sechin Bajo is the oldest part of the complex. Researchers trace its construction back to 3500 BC. German archaeologist Peter Fuchs has directed excavations and research since 1990. In 2008, he announced the discovery of a circular plaza made of stone. Radiocarbon dating tests revealed that the structure is approximately 5500 years old.
Subsequent studies at the site allowed Fuchs to identify at least three construction periods that affected Sechin Bajo: the first, beginning around 3500 BC, corresponding to the circular stone plaza; a second, not clearly datable, in which larger buildings were constructed in an area adjacent to the stone plaza; a third, around 1600 BC, in which a structure 180 meters long and 120 meters wide was built.
Sechin Bajo was likely an administrative and ceremonial center, as would later be the case with Cerro Sechin and Sechin Alto. Much of the architecture is made with shaped stone taken from nearby hills, suggesting a major construction effort, consequent to a sophisticated form of government and administration.
Cerro Sechin
As with Sechin Bajo, who developed Cerro Sechin, how it was built, and what type of ceremonies were celebrated are aspects unknown to researchers. Researchers believe it was completed before 2000 BC, a period corresponding to the end of the Andean Archaic Period, remaining in use at least until 1500 BC.
Cerro Sechin is certainly the site that has undergone the most rigorous studies. Two buildings can be identified, one of which is considered the main one, its most important feature being the decorated stone slabs that depict "warrior priests" walking among mutilated bodies, the oldest evidence of monumental sculpture in the Andes.
The building has a rectangular plan, with rounded corners and a perimeter wall. A double staircase leads to the top. The rest of the buildings seem to have been destroyed by particularly violent floods.
The figures carved into the rock have been subject to various interpretations. For its discoverer, Julio C. Tello, they represent battle scenes, carved in commemoration of a great victory in battle; another theory advanced by Federico Kauffman Doig suggests that it would be the staging of a human sacrifice, part of a propitiatory cult to counteract famine caused by drought or other natural forces; finally, some have suggested that it could be a site designated for anatomical studies, which would explain the explicit exposure of various parts of the human body, such as bones and organs.
Sechin Alto
Sechin Alto is estimated to be the largest of the entire Sechin complex. The site is located on the left bank of the Sechin River and represents the largest monumental temple in Peru. The entire site extends over an area of about 200 hectares.
The main structure has a pyramidal shape, measuring 44 meters in height, 300 meters in length, and 250 meters in width. The mound on which it rests was made with granite blocks, some weighing over 2 tons. Five plazas extend for nearly 1.5 km from the huge central mound.
In 1956, thanks to a radiocarbon test conducted by Donald Collier and Donald Thompson, it was revealed that the site could be dated between 1450 BC and 690 BC. However, architectural data, the stratigraphy of the excavation, and ceramic artifacts found in subsequent investigations in 1968 and 1980 indicate that Sechin Alto was used from 1800 BC, up until 900 BC.
