Chavin (Archaeological Site)

a) Intense temperature fluctuation;

b) Rain and winds;

c) Biological and microbiological growth;

d) Water erosion and destabilisation of one of the main structures;

e) Lack of a management plan.

Existing conservation conditions and interventions for the archaeological site were examined in 2007 and a request was made to the State Party submit proposals for the emergency and conservation projects to the World Heritage Centre.

In February 2009, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report that responds to the World Heritage Committee’s decision and provides additional information on current activities. A draft version of the management plan was also included in the report.

a) Plans for the “Chavín National Museum” project

The State Party report stated that the Chavin National Museum had been inagurated in 2008 and is currently open to the public. It is located approximately 7 km from the property, in a location that will be further developed according to the existing urban plan for the Town of Chavin the Huantar. The Museum will contribute to the dissemination of the values of the site, to the safeguarding of archaeological collections, to the educational activities at the locality, to its economic development (through increased tourism and job creation) and to the strenghtening of the regional identity.

b) Draft Emergency Plan

The report states that emergency work has been carried out based on the outcomes from the evaluations carried out during the management planning process and focused on preventive maintenance inside the galleries and outside buildings A and E. No overall plan has been provided.

c) The “Chavín Conservation” project

As for the conservation project, the State Party reports completion of the interdisciplinary condition assessment that assessed the variety of environmental and cultural factors that influenced the state of conservation of the fabric. A long-term and holistic intervention plan is currently being finalised but emergency actions are being currently implemented to guarantee the stability of elements at risk. These include: coverage and temporary protections to mitigate rain water infiltration, improvement of existing drainage systems, bracing of structurally unstable elements, preventive conservation at galleries currently opened to the public, consolidation of fillings at the Circular Plaza and building A and stabilization of building E. All of these emergency actions were prioritised during the development of the management plan and do not compromise future interventions.

d) Completed management plan

The management plan has been prepared based on a transdisciplinary and participatory approach. The State Party submitted the draft version of the plan and noted that the last stage of formulating specific projects will be finalised mid 2009.

In addition to the specific responses, the State Party reports that additional actions, as identified during the planning process, were implemented to improve conservation conditions and to enhance the preservation of the site and its setting. These include the repair of the perimeter mud wall, inventory and transfer to storage of isolated lithic elements previously subject to weathering, improvement of visitor facilities at the site, particularly the visitor centre to better meet visitor needs and also house artisans that sell their crafts at the site, and the design of routes and signage system to enhance interpretation. Projects foreseen for implementation in the near future include monitoring of conservation conditions, preventive conservation interventions, building of a bridge on the Wacheqsa river, improvement of river defences against flooding, inventory and conservation of archaeological materials in storage, improvement of security system and the creation of an International Centre for Research, Conservation and Restoration for cultural heritage in the region.