The Chen Chen geoglyphs are located at 1500 meters. towards the southeast of the center of the city of Moquegua, on a small chain of hills in an east-west direction, between 1474 and 1534 m.a.s.l.
We can get there with easy access through Tacna street, passing the Mirador park, then through Villa Francia, the Binational highway and then taking the road to Toquepala, up to a signaling wall, from where you can see the best preserved set of geoglyphs in the whole context.
Upon the arrival of the Tiwanaku from the highlands in these valleys, around the year 500 A.D., the first settlers settled in Omo, later new settlements such as Chen Chen emerged, approximately between the years 700 and 950, at its height with a population estimated at 13000 inhabitants. It was one of the most important towns in the expansion of the Tiwanaku Culture on the southern coast of Peru.
Silhouettes of camelids between one and four meters long are clearly visible, most of them facing east, some with loads, human figures, is there a staff there? there are other symbols that suggest magico-religious purposes. Towards the east of the panel there is a camelid with its four legs visible, very rare in this type of geoglyphs.
The technique used is extractive or shallow pickling (10 cms.).
These geoglyphs had great socio-cultural and economic importance during the development of these pre-Inca societies. In our times, it recovers its cultural, identity and, above all, tourist importance.
We know that this type of art, bequeathed to us by our ancestors, is exposed to deterioration and fearsome destruction. Only if we all unite, assuming the duty and commitment to prevent their disappearance, will our children and their children thank us.
We recommend observing them very early or at sunset, to appreciate them clearly.
They have a religious, ritual or ceremonial, astronomical or seasonal connotation; in short, of communication between these inhabitants and their gods, the locals and the travelers or caravaneers who frequented these routes transporting products from the highlands and the coast for exchange.