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Located in the Supe Valley, about 200 kilometers north of Lima, Caral is the oldest known city in America. It was inhabited between 3,000 BC and 1600 BC by the Caral Supe Civilization, the oldest known civilization in the Americas. It developed autonomously yet concurrently with the civilizations of Mesopotamia, Eqypt, India and China. 5,000 years ago, these were the only places in the world where organized cities existed.

 The city of Caral covers 163 acres of land and was the civilizations largest settlement, while there are 19 other other known settlements spread over a 35 square mile range along the Peruvian coast.  More than 3000 people inhabited Caral’s pyramids, temples, plazas, residential complexes, homes, and amphitheatre. Caral was certainly a thriving metropolis for the time’s standards.

The pyramids of Caral were built between the 27th century BC and the 21st century BC, comtemporary to the Saqqara Pyramid, the oldest in Egypt, and the Great Pyramid of Khufu or Keops. The main pyramid, or Pirámide Mayor, is 60 feet tall and spans the size of four football fields.

Archeologists have found the civilization to have been a gentle society focused on commerce and pleasure. There was an established hierarchical social strata with an elaborate system of beliefs and ceremonies. Since there was no military, religion was important for societal cohesion as well as a controlling force over the population. The principal labor activities were agriculture and fishing. A significant development was the production of cotton, from which clothing and nets for mass fishing were made. Specialization and division of labor allowed for the accumulation of surpluses controled by a centralized government. These economic, social and political conditions allowed for the development of astronomy, geometry, arithmetic, and biology, as well as advances in weather prediction, soil management, medicine, and improvements in crop yields.

Some of the artifacts found include Quipus, a writing and counting system involving knots tied on a rope which was further developed by the Incas; flutes made of condor and pelican bones; cornets made of deer and llama bones; stone bead necklaces; and evidence of drug use and aphrodisiacs. No trace of warfare was found: no military walls, weapons or mutililated bodies.

Archeologists say that Caral may hold answers to questions about the origins of the Incas, and that the urban center’s design and the civilization’s socio-political structure appears to have served as a model for later societies in Peru.

Although Caral still remains relatively unknown to the world, it represents a great symbol of national identity for Peru. Through continued investment in research, restoration, infrastructure and marketing, Caral will become a major tourist destination, thus improving the economic situation of the current inhabitants of the area.

For more information about Caral, please visit www.caralperu.gob.pe.

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