A 3,500-year-old settlement has been located in the northern Barranca province of Peru. This is close to the documented location of the Caral civilisation, the oldest known culture in the Americas.
In some buildings, researchers have found clay sculptures of humans and animal figures, as well as ceremonial objects and jewellery made from beads and seashells.
Archaeologists believe that Peñico was likely a trading hub, linking Pacific coast cultures with those in the Andes Mountains and the Amazon Basin.
Caral is considered a contemporary of civilisations in Egypt, India, Sumeria, and China; however, it differs in that it developed in isolation. According to a statement from the Ministry of Culture, an extensive collection of artifacts has been recovered.
“Significant finds were identified in this major public building, such as sculptures made of unfired clay depicting anthropomorphic figures, zoomorphic figures, and ceremonial objects,” the statement explains.
“Necklaces made with beads of various materials were also found, including spondylus, argopecten purpuratus, felicioliva peruviana, rhodochrosite, chrysocolla, animal bone, and clay.
“The most notable finds are complemented by abundant stone artifacts, such as grinders, hammerstones, crushers, anvils, and fulling mills.”
Ceremonial temples and residential complexes have been unearthed, and the walls of a central plaza depict the pututu, a conch shell trumpet whose sound carries over long distances.
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