Caral, Peru is the Site of an Advanced Ancient Civilization
by Owen Borville
July 1, 2019
Archaeology, History
Caral, Peru is the site of an advanced ancient civilization and is also the oldest known city in the Americas. Caral was part of the Norte Chico Civilization and spans across 150 acres in the Supe Valley and 120 miles north of Lima (Norte Chico is Spanish meaning new boy or new child). Caral is believed to have been inhabited from 2,600 B.C. to 2,000 B.C. and more than 3,000 people lived here. The Caral site excavations over the years since the mid-20th century revealed an impressive collection of temples, open plazas, six large pyramidal structures, and an amphitheater that were built at the same time as the ancient Egyptian civilization.
One interesting fact about Caral is that no artifacts related to war have been found at the site such as weapons, battlefields, and injured human corpses. Up to 30 temple complexes have been found in the Norte Chico region of north central coastal Peru, which is a very dry region today. Another unique fact of this civilization is that it did not include any ceramics or artwork, other than textiles while writing was also absent from the site. The Rio Supe runs adjacent to Caral, which is located less than 20 miles from the Pacific Coast. The Caral site was abandoned for unknown reasons but researchers believe that it was because of drought conditions. Just as the Mesopotamia region and north Africa was wetter during this time, this region of Peru could also have been wetter and more liveable 4,500 years ago. The Caral and Norte Chico site are important in determining where civilization in the Americas began, as moste believe that humans came to the Americas from the Russia-Alaska land bridge. Therefore, why would the first advanced civilization in the Americas appear so far southward? Could the Norte Chico inhabitants have crossed the Pacific instead of travelling from Alaska?
by Owen Borville
July 1, 2019
Archaeology, History
Caral, Peru is the site of an advanced ancient civilization and is also the oldest known city in the Americas. Caral was part of the Norte Chico Civilization and spans across 150 acres in the Supe Valley and 120 miles north of Lima (Norte Chico is Spanish meaning new boy or new child). Caral is believed to have been inhabited from 2,600 B.C. to 2,000 B.C. and more than 3,000 people lived here. The Caral site excavations over the years since the mid-20th century revealed an impressive collection of temples, open plazas, six large pyramidal structures, and an amphitheater that were built at the same time as the ancient Egyptian civilization.
One interesting fact about Caral is that no artifacts related to war have been found at the site such as weapons, battlefields, and injured human corpses. Up to 30 temple complexes have been found in the Norte Chico region of north central coastal Peru, which is a very dry region today. Another unique fact of this civilization is that it did not include any ceramics or artwork, other than textiles while writing was also absent from the site. The Rio Supe runs adjacent to Caral, which is located less than 20 miles from the Pacific Coast. The Caral site was abandoned for unknown reasons but researchers believe that it was because of drought conditions. Just as the Mesopotamia region and north Africa was wetter during this time, this region of Peru could also have been wetter and more liveable 4,500 years ago. The Caral and Norte Chico site are important in determining where civilization in the Americas began, as moste believe that humans came to the Americas from the Russia-Alaska land bridge. Therefore, why would the first advanced civilization in the Americas appear so far southward? Could the Norte Chico inhabitants have crossed the Pacific instead of travelling from Alaska?
