5 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists discover 1200-year-old Wari temple complex in Peru

Archaeologists from the University of Illinois Chicago have uncovered a temple complex constructed by the Wari Empire 1,200 years ago at the Pakaytambo site in southern Peru (A.D. 600-1000).

The Wari were a Middle Horizon civilization that flourished in the south-central Andes and coastal area of modern-day Peru. The Wari people spoke their own language and created beautiful tapestries and weavings that have survived and can be seen in museums today.

The Wari, who had Huari as their capital, used their wealth of landscapes to build an empire with provincial capitals linked by an extensive road system. Their empire-preserving strategies and artistic style would have a significant impact on the subsequent Inca civilization.

This is one of several recent finds of Wari D-shaped temples across Peru, where Wari state expansion and influence previously were unclear. 

A Wari ritual complex with a D-shaped temple, patio-group architecture, several supporting buildings, and a massive platform construction has been discovered during excavations.

Drone photograph of the temple complex and monumental platform. Photo: David Reid
Drone photograph of the temple complex and monumental platform. Photo: David Reid

As reported in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, the D-shaped temple was built on top of a large, monumental platform with adjoining structures that would have housed Wari religious officials and people linked to the Wari Empire.

“One of the most effective ways of bringing people into the empire was through shared beliefs and religious practices,” David Reid, UIC postdoctoral research associate in anthropology and the study’s author said. “Open plaza spaces associated with the temple complex at Pakaytambo would have allowed local communities to participate in ritual gatherings organized by the Wari.”

He also notes that such ceremonial events would have been critical in maintaining political authority across great distances of the Wari Empire.

“Temple complexes of premodern states served critical roles beyond that of a religious function. Both political and economic activities were often embedded within state-sponsored rituals, ceremonies, and events organized by temple institutions. Although we may not fully know how Pakaytambo was integrated within the broader Wari political economy, its geographic location and archaeological record provide some insight,” researchers write in their study published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology.

The research was financed with support from the Wenner-Gren Foundation and the National Science Foundation.

Cover Photo: Excavation of D-shaped temple. Top insert: plastered interior wall. Bottom insert: abandonment feature on structure floor. Photo: UIC

University of Illinois Chicago

Related Articles

“Secret” Excavations in Luxembourg Reveal 141 Roman Gold Coins from Nine Roman Emperors

13 January 2025

13 January 2025

Archaeologists uncovered a Roman gold coin hoard of 141 Roman gold coins dating to the second half of the 4th...

DNA Analysis Reveals Identifies the Genetic Makeup of Piceni the Most Fascinating Civilizations of Pre-Roman Italy

24 November 2024

24 November 2024

A study conducted by an international team coordinated by Sapienza University of Rome and the Italian National Research Council (CNR)...

Lost 14th Century Church Discovered under a Tennis Court in Hungary

14 May 2024

14 May 2024

During an archaeological excavation in Visegrád, a fortified medieval castle on a hill overlooking the Danube in northern Hungary, the...

Archaeologists identified the first known tomb of a Warrior Woman with weapons in Hungary

5 January 2025

5 January 2025

A team of archaeologists led by Balázs Tihanyi of the Department of Biological Anthropology and the Department of Archaeology at...

At a dig site in western Turkey, a centuries-old Byzantine fortress will be revealed

24 December 2021

24 December 2021

Excavation of vast Byzantine-era fortifications considered to be about 900 years old has begun at a dig site in western...

Hunting tools Dating Back 1900 Years Found inside a Cave in Querétaro, Mexico

27 January 2024

27 January 2024

Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) found hunting weapons dating back approximately 1,900 years in a...

3500-year-old mysterious hieroglyphs discovered in Yerkapı Tunnel in Hattusa deciphered

12 October 2023

12 October 2023

Some of the Anatolian hieroglyphs discovered last year in the Yerkapı Tunnel in Hattusa, the former capital of the Hittite...

A Colonnaded Hall with Extraordinary Frescoes of Still Life Found in Pompeii

27 December 2024

27 December 2024

Archaeologists in the famous ancient Roman city of Pompeii, one of the world’s most iconic archaeological sites, have revealed extraordinary...

In the Black Sea, there is a “Ship Graveyard” with 2,500 years of wrecked ships

15 February 2022

15 February 2022

The Black Sea is the inland sea lying between Europe and Asia. Blacksea is located in Eurasia, surrounded by Europe,...

Unusual Potter’s Signature or Graffito found during excavation of a Roman tile kiln in England

2 August 2023

2 August 2023

Cotswold Archeology and a team of volunteers have found an unusual potter’s signature or graffito in Minety, a village in...

Archaeologists have discovered another exceptional find in Mérida

12 August 2023

12 August 2023

In Mérida, Spain, archaeologists recently discovered an “enormous” Roman bath. But it is that inside these baths, in the area...

New Huge Viking-age boat grave discovered by Radar in Norway

12 April 2022

12 April 2022

Archaeologists have located a boat grave from the Viking Age near Øyesletta in Norway during a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey....

Rare a Serbian Stefan Uros II Milutin Silver Grosso discovered in Bulgaria’s Medieval Rusocastro Fortress

8 September 2023

8 September 2023

Archaeologists have discovered a silver grosso minted by the Serbian king Stefan Uros II Milutin in the medieval Rusocastro fortress,...

A Mysterious Chapel Discovered in Istanbul Bagcılar

3 August 2023

3 August 2023

While Istanbul continues to surprise with the richness of its historical heritage, this time a chapel was discovered in Bağcılar....

Manuscript Portal Brings Medieval Manuscripts from Greifswald Online

24 April 2024

24 April 2024

Greifswald’s oldest books can be accessed digitally via another new portal. The Manuscript Portal (HSP) is the central online portal...