Image Gallery: Peru Pyramid Shows Cosmological Significance

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Bathed in Light

a 3d model of the alignment between a pyramid, two stone lines and the setting winter solstice sun.

(Image credit: Image by Laura Griffin)

Flat Top

flat-topped cerro del gentil pyramid built of adobe and standing in southern Peru

(Image credit: Photo by Laura Griffin)

The flat-topped pyramid at Cerro del Gentil stands 16 feet (5 meters) tall and is made out of adobe. Pyramid artifacts found nearby the pyramid include textiles, shells and ceramics. A settlement nearby contained around 1,000 people. [Read full story]

Framing a pyramid

stone lines that aligned with the setting sun and an adobe pyramid in southern peru

(Image credit: Photo by Charles Stanish)

A view of the stone lines and pyramid today. The two lines frame the pyramid and the area between them appears relatively clean. [Read full story]

Pyramid map

map of peru pyramid and stone lines

(Image credit: Map by Laura Griffin)

This map shows the location of the stone lines (also called geoglyphs) along with cairns. The two lines which frame the Cerro del Gentil pyramid, as well as the setting winter solstice sun, are highlighted. [Read full story]

Stone lines

stone lines that aligned with the setting sun and an adobe pyramid in southern peru

(Image credit: Photo by Charles Stanish)

Researchers have found about 50 of these stone lines, the longest of which runs close to nearly 1 mile (1,500 meters). Many of these lines point to nearby settlements and their pyramids. The lines date to somewhere between 500 B.C. and A.D. 400. [Read full story]

Lengthy lines

stone lines that aligned with the setting sun and an adobe pyramid in southern peru

(Image credit: Photo by Charles Stanish)

The stone lines are seen in the distance in this photograph. [Read full story]

Piles of stone

Small rock piles forming lines leading to peru pyramid

(Image credit: Photo by Charles Stanish)

Small rock piles forming lines. These are not cairns, the researchers said. [Read full story]

Rock piles

cairns, or rock piles, found near the peru pyramid

(Image credit: Photo by Laura Griffin)

In addition researchers found more than 200 cairns (rock piles) inter-mixed with the stone lines. They were not used for burial. The biggest examples are 50 feet (15 meters) in diameter. [Read full story]

Working against time

modern-day construction at a southern peru pyramid site

(Image credit: Photo by Charles Stanish)

The lines and cairns are being destroyed by modern-day construction. Researchers say that this image shows bulldozers from Peru's Ministry of Energy. The blue sign is from the Ministry of Culture and says that this is a protected archaeological area. [Read full story]

Near Nazca Lines

map of southern peru where adobe pyramid was discovered

(Image credit: Map by Huhsunqu via Wikimedia, CC Attribution Share Alike 3.0 Unported, modified by Owen Jarus)

The site of Cerro del Gentil is located in southern Peru not far from the site of Nazca and its famous lines. [Read full story]

Owen Jarus
Owen Jarus
Live Science Contributor

Owen Jarus is a regular contributor to Live Science who writes about archaeology and humans' past. He has also written for The Independent (UK), The Canadian Press (CP) and The Associated Press (AP), among others. Owen has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Toronto and a journalism degree from Ryerson University.