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- archaeology
- temple
- Pre-Columbian American religions
- Related Places:
- Peru
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Kotosh
The Temple of the Crossed Hands, named for the mud-reliefs of crossed hands on its walls, at the site of Kotosh, Peru.
Kotosh
archaeological site, Peru
Kotosh, pre-Columbian site, near the modern city of Huánuco in present-day central highland Peru, known for its early temple structures. These earliest buildings, some of which have interior wall niches and mud-relief decorative friezes, date to the end of the Late Preceramic Period (c. 2000–1800 bce). The site also contains remains of later cultures in the area. The Initial Period is represented by overlying temple structures and a style of pottery known as the Wairajirca. These buildings and ceramics are, in turn, overlain by Chavín materials (Early Horizon; 1000–400 bce).
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Teagan Wolter.
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