Caral

Caral
Remains of Caral
Map showing location in Peru
Map showing location in Peru
Shown within Peru
Map showing location in Peru
Map showing location in Peru
Caral (South America)
Alternative nameCaral-Supe
LocationLima Region, Peru
Coordinates10°53′37″S 77°31′13″W / 10.89361°S 77.52028°W / -10.89361; -77.52028
TypeSettlement
History
Foundedc. 2600 BC
Abandonedc. 2000 BC
CulturesNorte Chico
Site notes
ConditionIn ruins
Official nameSacred City of Caral-Supe
LocationSupe District, Barranca Province, Peru
CriteriaCultural: (ii), (iii), (iv)
Reference1269
Inscription2009 (33rd Session)
Area626.36 ha (2.4184 sq mi)
Buffer zone14,620.31 ha (56.4493 sq mi)
Websitewww.zonacaral.gob.pe/en/

The Sacred City of Caral-Supe, or simply Caral, is an archaeological site in Peru where the remains of the main city of the Caral civilization are found. It is located in the Supe valley of Peru, near the current town of Caral, 182 kilometers north of Lima, 23 km from the coast and 350 metres above sea level.[1] It is attributed an antiquity of 5,000 years and it is considered the oldest city in the Americas and one of the oldest in the world. No other site has been found with such a diversity of monumental buildings or different ceremonial and administrative functions in the Americas as early as Caral.[2] It has been declared a Humanity Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO.[3]

The Caral culture developed between 3000 and 1800 B.C (Late Archaic and Lower Formative periods). In America, it is the oldest of the pre-Hispanic civilizations, developing 1,500 years earlier than the Olmec civilization, the first Mesoamerican complex society.[4]

Closely related to the city of Caral was an early fishing city, Áspero or El Áspero, located on the coast near the mouth of the Supe River. There, remains of human sacrifices (two children and a newborn) have been found. In 2016, the remains were found of a woman, who presumably belonged to the local elite of 4,500 years ago.[5]

  1. ^ "Ubicación". 2008-11-06.
  2. ^ EMSE EDAPP, S.L. (2017). América precolombina. Cuna de grandes civilizaciones. Barcelona: Bonalletra Alcompas, S.L. ISBN 978-84-16330-40-9.
  3. ^ "Caral es declarada Patrimonio Cultural de la Humanidad | Noticias del Perú | LaRepublica.pe". Archived from the original on 2017-06-19. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  4. ^ bcrp.gob.pe
  5. ^ "Descubren personaje femenino de élite enterrado hace 4,500 años en Áspero".