Archaeologists using ground-penetrating radar in the Marañón Basin of the Peruvian Amazon have discovered a monumental temple structure belonging to a previously unknown pre-Chavin culture. Named the Temple of the Obsidian Puma, the site dates back nearly 3,000 years and contains a remarkable central chamber housing a monolithic puma sculpture carved from volcanic glass.
Surrounding the puma were several polychrome ceramic masks and remnants of feathers, suggesting the space was used for shamanic transformations and feline-worship rituals. The discovery challenges existing theories about the spread of complex religious architecture into the Amazonian transition zone during the Initial Period of Andean history.