the Lanzón monolith

E84788
archaeological artifact cult image religious sculpture stone monolith

The Lanzón monolith is a towering, fanged stone deity sculpture at the heart of the Chavín de Huántar temple complex in Peru, serving as a central religious icon of the Chavín civilization.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Lanzón monolith 2

Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf archaeological artifact ⓘ
cult image ⓘ
religious sculpture ⓘ
stone monolith ⓘ
artStyle Andean iconography ⓘ
Chavín style ⓘ
associatedDeityType agricultural fertility deity ⓘ
weather and water deity ⓘ
associatedWith Andean religious tradition ⓘ
Chavín de Huántar ⓘ
surface form: Chavín de Huántar temple complex
carvingTechnique incised lines ⓘ
low relief carving ⓘ
civilization Chavín culture ⓘ
surface form: Chavín civilization
continent South America ⓘ
country Peru ⓘ
culture Chavín culture ⓘ
discoveredBy Julio C. Tello ⓘ
surface form: archaeologist Julio C. Tello
estimatedDate circa 900–500 BCE ⓘ
feature clawed hands ⓘ
complex interlocking motifs ⓘ
contorted body wrapping around the stone ⓘ
upturned fanged mouth ⓘ
function central religious icon ⓘ
cult center axis ⓘ
oracular monument ⓘ
ritual focus ⓘ
height approximately 4.5 meters ⓘ
heritageStatus part of UNESCO World Heritage Site Chavín (Archaeological Site) ⓘ
iconography anthropomorphic figure ⓘ
fanged deity ⓘ
feline features ⓘ
serpent motifs ⓘ
staff deity ⓘ
locatedIn Ancash Region ⓘ
Chavín de Huántar ⓘ
Peru ⓘ
locationWithinSite Chavín de Huántar ⓘ
surface form: Old Temple of Chavín de Huántar

central cruciform gallery ⓘ
material granite ⓘ
stone ⓘ
orientation embedded in the floor and ceiling ⓘ
period Early Horizon ⓘ
position upright ⓘ
religion Chavín culture ⓘ
surface form: Chavín religion
shape tapered column ⓘ
significance key monument for understanding Chavín religion ⓘ
one of the most important pre-Columbian sculptures in the Andes ⓘ
symbolism axis mundi ⓘ
mediator between upper and lower worlds ⓘ
power and authority of Chavín priesthood ⓘ

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Chavín de Huántar → hasArtifact → the Lanzón monolith ⓘ
this entity surface form: Lanzón monolith
Chavín culture → knownFor → the Lanzón monolith ⓘ
subject surface form: Chavín de Huántar
this entity surface form: Lanzón monolith