The recently discovered city of Peñico in Peru offers insights into the Americas’ oldest civilization, Caral, enhancing our understanding of trade and culture in ancient times.
Ancient Trading City Peñico Discovered in Peru, Shedding Light on Caral Civilization
Ancient Trading City Peñico Discovered in Peru, Shedding Light on Caral Civilization
Archaeologists have unveiled Peñico, a 3,500-year-old city in Peru, believed to be a vital trading hub linking ancient communities across the Pacific coast and Andes.
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Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery with the unveiling of Peñico, an ancient city located in Peru’s northern Barranca province, dating back 3,500 years. This site is believed to have functioned as a central trading hub that connected early Pacific coast inhabitants with communities residing in the Andes mountains and the Amazon basin.
Situated approximately 200km north of Lima and at an elevation of about 600 metres (1,970 feet), Peñico is thought to have been established between 1,800 and 1,500 BC, which coincides with the emergence of early civilizations across the Middle East and Asia. The findings at Peñico provide new perspectives on the development of the Caral civilization, recognized as the oldest in the Americas.
Aerial drone footage has revealed a circular edifice at the city’s core, bordered by remnants of stone and mud structures. Over eight years of excavation work led to the discovery of 18 buildings, which included ceremonial temples and residential areas. Archaeologists have also unearthed ceremonial items, clay figurines representing both human and animal forms, and intricate necklaces fashioned from beads and seashells.
Peñico is notably located near Caral, which emerged 5,000 years ago around 3,000 BC in the Supe valley of Peru. Caral is renowned for its 32 monumental structures, elaborate irrigation systems, and urban settlements, asserting its development in relative isolation compared to contemporary civilizations like those in India, Egypt, Sumeria, and China.
Dr. Ruth Shady, leading archaeologist on the Peñico project and who conducted the original Caral excavations in the 1990s, emphasized the importance of this discovery in framing our understanding of what occurred to the Caral civilization following its decline caused by climate-related challenges. Peñico’s strategically advantageous location would have facilitated trade and interaction with coastal, highland, and jungle societies, according to Dr. Shady.
At a news conference announcing these significant findings, archaeologist Marco Machacuay, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, remarked on the importance of Peñico as a direct continuation of Caral society.
Peru is rich in archaeological treasures, home to monumental findings such as the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu and the enigmatic Nazca Lines etched into its central coastal desert landscapes.
Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery with the unveiling of Peñico, an ancient city located in Peru’s northern Barranca province, dating back 3,500 years. This site is believed to have functioned as a central trading hub that connected early Pacific coast inhabitants with communities residing in the Andes mountains and the Amazon basin.
Situated approximately 200km north of Lima and at an elevation of about 600 metres (1,970 feet), Peñico is thought to have been established between 1,800 and 1,500 BC, which coincides with the emergence of early civilizations across the Middle East and Asia. The findings at Peñico provide new perspectives on the development of the Caral civilization, recognized as the oldest in the Americas.
Aerial drone footage has revealed a circular edifice at the city’s core, bordered by remnants of stone and mud structures. Over eight years of excavation work led to the discovery of 18 buildings, which included ceremonial temples and residential areas. Archaeologists have also unearthed ceremonial items, clay figurines representing both human and animal forms, and intricate necklaces fashioned from beads and seashells.
Peñico is notably located near Caral, which emerged 5,000 years ago around 3,000 BC in the Supe valley of Peru. Caral is renowned for its 32 monumental structures, elaborate irrigation systems, and urban settlements, asserting its development in relative isolation compared to contemporary civilizations like those in India, Egypt, Sumeria, and China.
Dr. Ruth Shady, leading archaeologist on the Peñico project and who conducted the original Caral excavations in the 1990s, emphasized the importance of this discovery in framing our understanding of what occurred to the Caral civilization following its decline caused by climate-related challenges. Peñico’s strategically advantageous location would have facilitated trade and interaction with coastal, highland, and jungle societies, according to Dr. Shady.
At a news conference announcing these significant findings, archaeologist Marco Machacuay, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, remarked on the importance of Peñico as a direct continuation of Caral society.
Peru is rich in archaeological treasures, home to monumental findings such as the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu and the enigmatic Nazca Lines etched into its central coastal desert landscapes.
