Newsletter July 2008

Peru, synonymous with archeological wealth and ancient civilizations, has been recently confirmed as the land of the oldest citadel in the Americas. Using the carbon-14 dating method, Caral has been found to be more than 4,500 years old, dating back to around 2,600 years before Christ.

Near the coast of central northern Peru, 182 km from Lima and 23 km from the coast, lies the Supe Valley at 350m above sea level. This unassuming desert contains mysteries from an ancient civilization that evolved to the heights of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt in societal complexity.

Constructed on an alluvial terrace 25m above the valley floor in a desert intersected by Andean foothills and sand dunes, the ruins of the once great city occupy 65 hectares, consisting of architecture on a monumental scale. Away from the complexes at the city center is a once extensive residential area.

There are 18 settlements in Caral, distributed along the valley for about 40km. Around 2,800 BC, the population living in the Supe Valley exhibited a high degree of occupational and social specialization. Coastal dwellers subsisted by fishing and extracting mollusks and seaweed; valley settlers created irrigation canals for the cultivation of food crops and cotton.

The radiocarbon dates of the 18 sites were recently published in Science Magazine, sparking great interest among the scientific community as well as the public. With renewed interest in Caral, the Vice Minister of Tourism of Peru has announced the investment of over one million soles in the construction of a highway leading to the archeological site, making the complex more easily accessible for tourism. Last year more than 40,000 foreign and national tourists visited the site and more are expected as the site expands its tourism infrastructure and facilities.

Source:

livinginperu.com

PAST NEWSLETTERS:

• Newsletter June 2008
• Newsletter May 2008
• Newsletter April 2008
• Newsletter February 2008
• Newsletter January 2008