This ruin is also known as the Temple of the Crossed Hands because of its highlight, a life-sized mud molding of a pair of crossed hands that dates to about 2000 BC. The original is now at Lima’s Museo Nacional de Antropología, Arqueología e Historía del Perú, and a replica remains at the site. Little is known about Kotosh, one of the most ancient Andean cultures. The temple, Huánuco's main attraction, is diverting enough, but anticlimactic after seeing the blockbuster Inca sites elsewhere.
Kotosh is about 5km west of town off La Unión road, and the site is easily visited by taxi (S12, including a 30-minute wait and return). In the hills 2km above the site, Quillaromi cave has impressive prehistoric paintings.
