ANCIENT ANDEAN TEMPLE OF THE CROSSING HANDS.

A series of ritual buildings were constructed in the Andean mountains drainages by the ancient settlers of the Andes between 3,000 and 1,200 BC, that preceded the introduction of ceramics.
A number of these ritual centers has been unearthed in the highland zones that are lower than the Puna, considerable distances separates them, and their architectural designs are remarkable similar.
The ancient culture of Kotosh Waira-Jirca existed approximately from 1800BC to 1300BC. The settlement was concentrated in the Huanuco River basin, only 6 km West of today Huanuco along the La Union road. Huanuco is known for its rough topography comprising parts of the Sierra (the Andes shelter in which the very last variety of climates exists) and the High Jungle regions, and for the richness of its soil.
The culture of Kotosh predates the Chavin culture  by more than a thousand years, then it continued throughout the Inca occupation, right up to the arrival of the Europeans settlers to South America.
The archaeological site contains a series of overlapping buildings with 6 periods of continuous occupation. The 3 overlapping temples are: -Nichitos (Niches), -Blanco (White), -Manos Cruzadas (Crossed Hands). The site gave birth to the term Kotosh Religious Tradition and the term is used by archaeologists to refer to the ritual buildings that were constructed in the mountains drainages of the Andes between 3,000BC and 1,800 BC.
Today, more than 4,000 years old, the "Temple of the Crossed Hands" (Templo de Las Manos Cruzadas) is considered one of the oldest temples in Peru and America. It lies in ruins and its most unique feature is the crossed-hands symbol carved prominently in stone on the Temple walls. The sculpture of the Crossed Hands can be seen next to the main Niche. On one of the sculptures, the Right Hand rests on the Left, and on the other, the Left Hand rests on the Right. It is believed that this correspond to the earliest notion of the universal duality, a central theme which was the core in the Andean ideology through the time of the Incas.
The first evidence of massive stone constructions from about 2,000 BC suggests that complicated building work of human enterprise began in this area before anyone else on the American continent.
Their settlers cultivated crops, used marine resources, built permanent settlements and multi-layered ceremonial buildings. Artifacts of later origin, mostly belonging to Chavin culture were also unearthed. The culture stratum was situated directly beneath the Chavin culture stratum. At this stage, unique Andean maize cultivation appeared, followed by beans, squash, cassava, potatoes, etc.