Lanzón

[citation needed] The Lanzón itself was erected during the Early Horizon period of Andean art circa 500 BCE[2] and takes its name from the Spanish word for "lance," an allusion to the shape of the sculpture.

[7] The Lanzón is housed in the central cruciform chamber of a labyrinthine series of underground passages in the Old Temple of the ceremonial and religious center of Chavín de Huantar[citation needed].

The worshipers' disorientation, in addition to the hallucinogenic effects of the San Pedro cactus they were given before entering, only heightened the visual and psychological impact of the sculpture[citation needed].

The imagery of the Lanzon is a complex series of line work which winds around each of the three sides of its floor to ceiling triangular form.

Additionally, there is special attention paid to the eyes, nose, lips, and teeth- deeper set carvings for these features make them project, due to the higher relief, it adds a greater feeling of ferocity.

[12] Though it was made of terrestrial material, the Lanzón housed a celestial being, the people of Chavín even brought it offerings of food and ceramics.

[15] The importance of duality is also seen with the contour rivalry of the snakes and hair, the transformation between man and beast, and the geographical location between the arid mountain range and the lush amazon.