Idol of the Painted Temple On Peru's central coast, an ornately carved totem was venerated across centuries of upheaval and conquest By Marley Brown Remains of the Painted Temple (center), first built at the site of Pachacamac in southern Peru in the 8th and 9th centuries a.d., are visible behind a heavily looted ancient cemetery. The 15th-century Inca Temple of the Sun can be seen in the background. The Pachacamac Idol (right) was discovered in the rubble of the Painted Temple and may represent its principal deity. 32 ARCHAEOLOGY * July/August 2020