Americas’ oldest solar observatory finally gets Unesco world heritage status 

Dubbed 'a masterpiece of human creative genius', the 2,300-year-old archaeological ruin Chankillo, which is the oldest solar observatory in the Americas, has been awarded Unesco world heritage status.

Chankillo, which lies in a desert valley in northern Peru, was one of 13 new global sites added to the list of cultural monuments.

It features 13 stone towers, which were built in 250 to 200 BC, to function as a calendar by marking the rising and setting arcs of the sun. They marked not only equinoxes and solstices but even to define the precise time of year to within a day or two.

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These 13 towers align on a ridge are the best-known feature of the ancient site.

Not just this, the archaeological ruin also includes an imposing triple-walled hilltop complex, which is known as the Fortified Temple, set in the barren landscape of the Casma river valley.

Chankillo programme director Iván Ghezzi told the Guardian, “It is the only observatory from the ancient world that we know of that is a complete annual solar calendar.”

He was 'truly overwhelmed' by the recognition, but not surprised that the agency found Chankillo worthy of being on the list.