The Caral civilization also known as the Norte Chico civilization and as Caral-Supe was a complex pre-Columbian society, located in what is now the Norte Chico region of north-central coastal Peru, near Supe, Barranca province, Peru km north of Lima. Its location allowed it to take advantage of three rivers: the Fortaleza, the Pativilca, and the Supe.
It has been established as the oldest known civilization in the Americas, and as one of the six sites where civilization separately originated in the ancient world. The Caral flourished between the 30th and 18th centuries BCE. This complex society arose a millennium after Sumer in Mesopotamia, was contemporaneous with the Egyptian pyramids, and predated the Mesoamerican Olmec by nearly two millennia.
Caral was discovered by Paul Kosok in , and further studied by archaeologist Ruth Shady. The urban complex of Caral takes up more than acres, and holds plazas, dwellings, and a meters-high temple. Its urban plan was used by Andean civilizations for the next four thousand years. One of the artifacts found at Caral is a knotted textile piece named a quipu, which archaeologists believe was a method of keeping records.
Caral has been radiocarbon dated to over five thousand years ago. It has been proposed by some scholars, Dr. Shady included, that the site of Caral and the surrounding sites in the Supe Valley represent a state level society.
However, there is a general consensus in the literature holding that Caral does not represent a highly stratified society such as a state. At the moment, these are the few known examples of possible Norte Chico art. In addition, if these figures represent a divine being, it would also indicate that the civilization had some kind of religious belief system. Top: Gourd painted with a god figure.
Bottom: color enhanced gourd painted with a god figure. The archaeological evidence shows that the settlements of the Norte Chico Civilization were abandoned after BC. While it is not entirely clear why the abandonment took place, it has been speculated that the people of this civilization migrated to other parts of Peru and took their skills along with them. One possible explanation for why the Norte Chico settlements were abandoned 3, years ago comes from research at the site called Vichama.
Soon before they left their home, the people carved snakes and human heads into their walls alongside depictions of emaciated people. Archaeologists believe these features mean the people who lived in the settlement were starving and dying and hoped a water deity would finally be lenient and send them some rain to let their friends, family, and neighbors survive.
Wall carvings found in Vichama, Peru. It has also been suggested that the wall carvings show the inhabitants of Vichama wanted to show others about the hardships they faced when rain was scarce. And even more interesting, if the results of research at the site are correct, the people in Vichama survived the climate change, unlike those in the Norte Chico hub - Caral.
Source: Realhistory. Boundless, The Caral Civilization. Hooper, S. New insight into ancient Americans. New World Encyclopedia, Norte Chico civilization. The BBC, First Andes civilisation explored. Although his primary interest is in the ancient civilizations of the Near East, he is also interested in other geographical regions, as well as other time periods Read More. Most likely cooking was possible with the use of large leaves to wrap the meat or vegetables as is done with some native Mesoamerican and polynesian recipes.
Another important site is Aspero, a 15 ha 37 ac site at the mouth of the Supe River, which includes at least six platform mounds, the largest of which has a volume of 3, cu m cu yd , stands 4 m 13 ft high and covers an area of 40x40 m x ft. Built of cobble and basalt block masonry plastered with clay and shicra fill, the mounds have U-shaped atria and several clusters of decorated rooms that exhibit increasingly restricted access.
The site has two huge platform mounds: Huaca de los Sacrificios and Huaca de los Idolos, and another 15 smaller mounds. Other constructions include plazas, terraces, and large refuse areas. Ceremonial buildings at Aspero, such as the Huaca del los Sacrificios and Huaca de los Idolos, represent some of the oldest examples of public architecture in the Americas. The name, Huaca de los Idolos, comes from an offering of several human figurines interpreted as idols recovered from the top of the platform.
Aspero's radiocarbon dates fall between cal BCE. Beginning about 3, cal BP, a series of environmental disasters struck the people living in the Supe and adjacent valleys, impacting both marine and terrestrial environments. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile.
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