What is the Atacama Giant?

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Chile is a country incredibly full of history and hides one of the largest and most curious geoglyphs in the world, the Atacama Giant.

And we have thought, maybe you would like to visit it during your trip to Chile. So we are going to tell you exactly what the Giant of Atacama is and what is the story behind it.

What is the Atacama Giant?

The Giant of Atacama, Giant of Tarapacá or Geoglyph of Cerro Unita is a 119-meter long figure drawn on the northwest flank of Cerro Unita on the surface of the earth.

It is the geoglyph with the largest human representation in the world. It has also been considered an archaeological monument and cultural heritage of Chile.

And it is not alone, there are many other large geometrical figures drawn on the western and southern slopes in the same hill. Although not as impressive as this one!

Where is the Cerro Unita geoglyph?

The giant of Atacama is in the commune of Huara, in the province of Tamarugal in the region of Tarapacá. To make us understand each other better, it is in the middle of the Atacama Desert.

So if you are thinking about what to see in Chile, you can’t miss seeing with your own eyes this amazing figure.

History of the Atacama Giant

Although little is known about it, it is believed that the figure of the Atacama Giant was made by inhabitants of the area between 900 and 1450 years AD.

It is supposed that it is the representation of a shaman or yatiri. That is a man who makes predictions, invokes the spirits and practices healing in some religions.

Although the legends of Titicaca tell that this geoglyph may correspond to the Andean deity Tunupa-Tarapacá, who made a journey from this lake to the Pacific Ocean.

In any case, the most curious thing is that there is no way to establish how it was shaped taking into account the technological tools available at that time.

In short, the history of this famous geoglyph remains an undiscovered mystery. But we are sure that now that you know a little more about what the famous Giant of Atacama is, you will not want to miss it when you are in Chile.

Have you ever seen anything like it?