Often said to be the matrix of the other Andean cultures, the Chavín culture (1200 to 200 BCE) established its religious centre here, in the heart of the mountains. This major shrine was the site of huge initiation ceremonies led by priests in a trance who used hallucinogenic cacti to manipulate their audiences. Interlinked tunnels, crypts, platforms, buildings and terraces reveal a fascinating underground maze steeped in mystery, where eerie sounds resonate down through the ages.