The Lanzón stela has sat among tunnels under ancient ruins in the Peruvian Andes for more than two millennia. This 15-foot, humanlike stone sculpture was installed under the temple of Chavín de Huántar. It appears to feature arms and legs — along with snakes for hair and massive fangs.
“It’s a monstrous representation with human and animal elements,” says Richard Burger, an archaeologist at Yale University who has studied Chavín de Huántar and its culture for several decades.
The Lanzón hasn’t budged since it was first fixed between the floor and ceiling at least 2,500 years ago. Rope depictions that emerge from the top and bottom could represent its vital importance in connecting the heavens and Earth, Burger says. This figure likely depicted a deity.
