Kotosh

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Ornament of crossed hands in the temple of Kotosh

Kotosh is an archaeological site in the Peruvian Andes and is 5 km outside the city of Huánuco . The temple complex was built in 2000 BC. Chr. And is counted with its characteristic features to the Kotosh-Mito phase. Due to the advantageous location between the Pacific coast in the west and the Selva in the east, the trade in the respective specific products in the corresponding other direction was probably important.

Templo de las Manos Cruzadas

In the most important temple of the complex there are two reliefs made of unfired clay, each of which depicts hands crossed on top of one another. They are among the oldest works of Andean art. In one version the left hand is in the foreground, in the other the right hand. Differences in size suggest women's and men's hands accordingly. There are now replicas on site, embedded in the wall . The original of the women's hands is in the Museo Nacional de Arqueología Antropología e Historia del Perú . Unfortunately, the relief of the men's hands was destroyed, a detailed cast can be seen in the Museo Regional Leoncio Prado de Huánuco . The temple has an almost square floor plan and has an entrance. In the center of the interior there is a depression in which plants were burned for ritual purposes.

literature

Web links

Commons : Kotosh  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Doris Kurella: Cultures and Buildings of Ancient Peru, p. 43
  2. History of the Manos Cruzadas of Kotosh , (Japanese / Spanish / English), accessed December 10, 2017.
  3. Ancient Peru: The First Cities , accessed December 10, 2017.

Coordinates: 9 ° 55 ′ 52 ″  S , 76 ° 16 ′ 46.2 ″  W.