3,500-year-old ancient city discovered in Peru

The downtown area is marked by a circular structure of houses on the hillside, with remains of buildings built of stone and mud, at an altitude of about 600 m above sea level.

Peruvian archaeologists said on July 3 they had discovered an ancient city, dating back 3,500 years, that was likely a trading center linking Pacific coastal cultures with those in the Andes and Amazon regions, thriving at the same time as early civilizations in the Middle East and Asia.

Drone footage released by researchers shows the city's central area marked by a circular structure of houses on a hillside, with the remains of buildings built of stone and mud, at an altitude of about 600 meters above sea level.

The area, called Peñico, is located in the northern province of Barranca and was founded between 1,800 and 1,500 BC, near the site of the Caral civilization, the oldest civilization in the Americas, which flourished 5,000 years ago.

At a press conference, archaeologist Marco Machacuay, a researcher at the Peruvian Ministry of Culture, said that the importance of Peñico lies in the fact that the area is a continuation of the Caral society.
After eight years of research, archaeologists have identified up to 18 structures in Peñico, including temples and residential complexes.

They also identified the walls of a central plaza highlighted with reliefs and images depicting Pututu, a conch shell trumpet whose sound travels great distances.

In other buildings, archaeologists have discovered clay sculptures of humans and animals, ceremonial objects, and necklaces made from beads and shells.

Peru is a center of ancient cultures and is home to archaeological sites such as the ruins of the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu in Cusco and the mysterious “Nazca Lines” located in the desert along the central coast of the country./.

(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/phat-hien-thanh-pho-co-co-nien-dai-3500-nam-tuoi-tai-peru-post1047938.vnp