Chavín de Huántar is an archaeological site (or archaeological monument) located in the district of Chavín de Huántar, province of Huari, department of Áncash, in Peru. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1985. It is located 462 km northwest of Lima and 86 km from Huaraz, at an elevation of 3177 meters above sea level, in the Eastern Sierra of Ancash east of the Cordillera Blanca. The complex is located at the confluence of the Huacheksa and Mosna rivers, in the upper basin of the Marañon River, which was a pre-Inca crossing point from the coast to the jungle, which favored its growth and importance in the collection of supplies and transit of goods.

It was the administrative and religious center of the Chavin culture, built and occupied approximately between 1500 and 300 B.C. (Andean Formative). Its structures, in the shape of a truncated pyramid, are built of stone and mud mortar. The most imposing structure is known as “El Castillo”, also called “Templo Mayor” or “Templo Nuevo”. It is an outstanding example of the art of building of the ancient Peruvians.

The Chavín culture is recognized for its outstanding stonework, which was used both for its architecture (subway channels, galleries, buildings) and for the carving of images (nail heads, tombstones, Lanzón, Tello Obelisk, etc.).