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A stepped cross of twelve outer corners, often with a central hole.
Also known as: Andean cross, Inca cross, Stepped cross, Chakana symbol
The chakana is a stepped cross found in Andean archaeology and used today as a symbol of Andean identity. The elaborate cosmological readings widely attached to it are largely twentieth-century reconstructions rather than recovered pre-Columbian meaning.
Denotes a stepped cross form found in Andean material culture and used today as an emblem of Andean and Quechua identity.
Contexts: History
Appears in pre-Columbian Andean art and architecture, where the stepped form is a widespread and long-lived motif.
Contexts: History
Carries detailed cosmological interpretations that are largely modern reconstructions: the elaborate readings in circulation are twentieth-century and are not recovered from pre-Columbian sources.
The stepped cross is genuinely ancient. The systematic cosmological meanings widely attributed to it — three worlds, named directions, a specific numerology — are modern reconstructions and are not documented from pre-Columbian evidence.
Contexts: History
A cross formed of stepped square blocks producing twelve outer corners, symmetrical about both axes, often with a circular hole at the centre.