These are the ruins of one of the oldest cities in America in northern Peru (3 hours from the capital), covering a huge area of 66 hectares. According to modern scientific data and radiocarbon analysis, it has been determined that the Caral complex was built approximately between 3000 and 2100 BC, in the so-called pre-ceramic (pre-ceramic) period.
The structures of the Norte Chico civilization arose a millennium after the emergence of the Sumerian civilization, were contemporaries of the pyramids of Ancient Egypt and predated the Central American Olmec culture by almost 2 millennia.
According to the archaeological nomenclature, Norte Chico is a pre-pottery culture of the late archaic period; ceramics are completely absent, the number of works of art is extremely small. The most impressive achievement of the Norte Chico culture is its monumental architecture, with rolling platforms and circular squares.
Archaeological evidence suggests that this culture possessed the technology of making fabrics. Perhaps there was a worship of the symbols of deities, which is typical for other Andean pre-Columbian cultures. It is assumed that the ancient culture of Norte Chico required a complex management system to govern, and there are still unanswered questions about how it functioned.
Caral was first discovered by archaeologist Ruth Shady Solis in 1997. At the moment, excavations are 50% completed.
The Karal complex, located in the Supe Valley, includes several ancient structures, with platforms that can house two football stadiums and five-story buildings.
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The meaning of these structures and the history of this city is a mystery. As always, there are several theories in these situations. One of them is official and there are many, many interpretations.
However, everyone agrees that this place was of a ritual, cult nature. The inhabitants of the city also disappeared, leaving no trace or cemetery, although they lived there for over a thousand years.