﻿82 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  Maraii6n 
  Kiver. 
  Although 
  at 
  a 
  respectable 
  altitude, 
  lush 
  vegetation 
  

   grows 
  in 
  the 
  protection 
  of 
  the 
  deep 
  canyon. 
  A 
  fair 
  amount 
  of 
  farm 
  

   land 
  is 
  available 
  on 
  the 
  river 
  flats, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  unlikely 
  that 
  this 
  region 
  

   ever 
  supported 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  population. 
  In 
  the 
  past, 
  as 
  today, 
  the 
  

   population 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  clustered 
  in 
  the 
  small 
  pockets 
  where 
  

   agriculture 
  is 
  possible. 
  In 
  spite 
  of 
  the 
  r 
  limitations 
  of 
  the 
  locale, 
  the 
  

   ruins 
  are 
  impressive, 
  even 
  though 
  badly 
  crumbled 
  in 
  many 
  places. 
  

   No 
  large-scale 
  excavations 
  have 
  been 
  carried 
  out, 
  although 
  some 
  

   sample 
  pits 
  have 
  been 
  dug. 
  

  

  The 
  ruins 
  cover 
  a 
  large 
  area. 
  Three 
  constructional 
  units, 
  totaling 
  

   about 
  490 
  feet 
  (150 
  m.) 
  in 
  length, 
  flank 
  the 
  western 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  group. 
  

   A 
  large 
  building 
  at 
  the 
  south, 
  called 
  the 
  Castillo, 
  is 
  connected 
  by 
  a 
  

   terreplein 
  to 
  a 
  mound 
  or 
  building 
  at 
  the 
  north 
  on 
  which 
  stands 
  a 
  modern 
  

   chapel. 
  The 
  Castillo 
  measures 
  roughly 
  245 
  feet 
  (75 
  m.) 
  in 
  length 
  

   and 
  235 
  feet 
  (72 
  m.) 
  in 
  width 
  and 
  is 
  still 
  about 
  45 
  feet 
  (13 
  m.) 
  high 
  at 
  

   the 
  southeast 
  corner 
  (pi. 
  7, 
  top) 
  . 
  Outer 
  walls 
  slope 
  slightly 
  inward 
  and 
  

   are 
  set 
  back 
  in 
  terraces 
  near 
  the 
  top. 
  The 
  total 
  effect, 
  however, 
  is 
  that 
  

   of 
  a 
  mass 
  platform 
  and 
  not 
  a 
  stepped 
  pyramid. 
  Within 
  the 
  Castillo 
  

   are 
  three 
  floors 
  composed 
  of 
  an 
  intricate 
  system 
  of 
  stone-lined 
  and 
  

   covered 
  galleries 
  and 
  rooms. 
  Ramps 
  and 
  stairways 
  connect 
  one 
  

   floor 
  with 
  another. 
  Throughout 
  the 
  building 
  is 
  a 
  system 
  of 
  venti- 
  

   lation 
  shafts 
  which 
  still 
  furnish 
  fresh 
  air 
  even 
  in 
  the 
  lowest 
  interior 
  

   rooms. 
  

  

  The 
  Castillo 
  is 
  all 
  artificially 
  constructed. 
  It 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  built 
  

   up 
  floor 
  by 
  floor, 
  with 
  the 
  arrangement 
  of 
  rooms, 
  galleries, 
  and 
  vents 
  

   carefully 
  planned 
  in 
  advance. 
  Once 
  the 
  interior 
  enclosure 
  walls 
  were 
  

   built 
  and 
  the 
  flat 
  covering 
  slabs 
  were 
  in 
  place, 
  the 
  space 
  between 
  the 
  

   galleries 
  and 
  rooms 
  was 
  filled 
  with 
  rubble. 
  Then 
  the 
  outer 
  walls 
  were 
  

   faced 
  with 
  carefully 
  dressed 
  stones. 
  At 
  the 
  southwest 
  corner, 
  carved 
  

   stone 
  heads 
  on 
  tenons 
  are 
  still 
  on 
  position. 
  Above 
  these 
  are 
  segments 
  

   of 
  a 
  projecting 
  cornice 
  with 
  carved 
  design 
  (fig. 
  1). 
  Presumably 
  

   the 
  inset 
  heads 
  and 
  the 
  cornice 
  once 
  continued 
  around 
  the 
  whole 
  build- 
  

   ing 
  (pi. 
  17). 
  A 
  carved 
  stone 
  pillar, 
  called 
  the 
  "Lanzon," 
  is 
  still 
  in 
  its 
  

   original 
  position 
  in 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  galleries 
  of 
  the 
  terreplein. 
  

  

  The 
  Castillo 
  is 
  the 
  principal 
  building 
  at 
  the 
  Chavin 
  ruins. 
  To 
  the 
  

   east 
  is 
  a 
  wide 
  terrace 
  faced 
  with 
  stone. 
  Between 
  this 
  terrace 
  and 
  the 
  

   river, 
  which 
  flows 
  on 
  the 
  eastern 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  ruins, 
  is 
  a 
  flat 
  area 
  con- 
  

   taining 
  a 
  sunken 
  plaza 
  157 
  feet 
  (48 
  m.) 
  square. 
  The 
  plaza 
  is 
  flanked 
  

   on 
  the 
  north 
  and 
  south 
  sides 
  by 
  high 
  platforms. 
  The 
  river 
  has 
  cut 
  

   away 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  south 
  platform, 
  revealing 
  a 
  few 
  gaflery 
  openings, 
  

   much 
  rubble 
  fill, 
  and 
  the 
  rough 
  stone 
  facings. 
  Other 
  constructions 
  in 
  

   the 
  area 
  are 
  of 
  minor 
  importance. 
  

  

  The 
  site 
  of 
  Chavin 
  does 
  not 
  seem 
  to 
  represent 
  a 
  village. 
  The 
  in- 
  

   terior 
  galleries 
  and 
  small 
  rooms 
  of 
  the 
  Castillo 
  would 
  make 
  poor 
  living 
  

   quarters 
  and 
  but 
  few 
  habitation 
  sites 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  nearby. 
  Like- 
  

  

  