The Paracas Candelabra, also called the Candelabra of the Andes, or El Candelabro (the Trident), is a well-known prehistoric geoglyph found on the northern face of the Paracas Peninsula at Pisco Bay in Peru. [1] Pottery found nearby has been radio carbon dated to 200 BCE, the time of the Paracas culture. [2] The design is cut 60 cm (2 ft) into the soil, with stones possibly from a later date placed around it. The figure is 170 m (560 ft) tall and 60 m (200 ft) wide, [3] large enough to be seen 19 km (12 mi) at sea. [2]
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In 2016, it was designated as a national heritage site by Peru, with Peruvian law dictating a jail term of between three and six years for anyone damaging any archaeological monument. [3]
Peruvian archaeologist Maria Reiche measured the geoglyph and found Paracas style pottery which she dated to around 200 BCE. The geoglyph is related to the Nazca lines. [4]
