PEÑICO, PERU—Reuters reports that Peruvian authorities announced the discovery of a major lost ancient city in the country’s Barranca province. The site of Peñico was founded high in the Andes mountains between 1800 and 1500 b.c. following the collapse of the nearby Caral culture, which is often considered the oldest civilization in the Americas. The site features a monumental central plaza with a large circular structure and walls bearing relief sculptures and depictions of pututus, or conch shell trumpets. Over the past several years, archaeologists have uncovered 18 buildings that include residential complexes and ceremonial temples. Among the objects they recovered within the structures were human and animal figurines, ceremonial objects, and necklaces made from beads and seashells. The researchers believe that the site once served as a major trading hub between communities of the Pacific coast and cultures in the Andes Mountains or Amazon River Basin. “They were situated in a strategic location for trade, for exchange with societies from the coast, the highlands and the jungle,” said Ruth Shady Solís, director of the Caral Archaeological Zone. To read about a Caral site on the northern coast, go to "Off the Grid: Vichama, Peru."
