A 3D Look at the Chavin Sculpture

The sculpture was discovered in an area of the site known as the Old Temple. Dating back to the earliest period of the settlement, the Old Temple was an inward-facing structure made up primarily of passageways built around a circular courtyard. 

The temple contained a number of sculptures and carvings, many decorated with images of jaguars, caimans and anthropomorphic creatures. The Lanzón Stela is one of the most famous of these sculptures.  Found in the Lanzón Gallery, in the very heart of the temple, the figure is assumed to be the supreme deity of the Chavin people.

The sculpture is anthropomorphic, with a feline head and human body. The shape of the figure resembles that of a digging stick, in fact, the word Lanzón derives from the Spanish for ‘great lance’. This has led experts to believe that it was particularly associated with the harvest season. 

Because the Lanzón Stela is located in the ceremonial heart of Chavín de Huántar, surrounded by a paved stone courtyard and tower steps, it was likely to have played an important part in the religion and culture of the Chavin people. However, as no written accounts of the civilization survive, we’ll never know for certain what it is or why it was made.