Caral Archaeological Site

A search for ancient history in the remote desert landscape of Peru, while trying to avoid severe dehydration in the mid-day sun   . . . 

Join me on this epic adventure in archaeology to the desert landscape where I almost died of dehydration ... It was totally worth it!

The Day Trip that Almost Killed Me

​I awoke early one morning at my Lima hotel with some pretty sever stomach issues from what I had eaten the day before. Determined that nothing was going to stop me, I tried to rehydrate as much as possible while waiting on my ride hours north into the desert of Peru.
​Here is what I experienced:

You will often hear Caral referred to as The Sacred City. A around 5,000 years old it is sited as the oldest city in the Americas, although that title is up for debate as more evidence continues to arise from other nearby locations. 

You will certainly notice that this archaeological site displays an excellent example of ancient city planning. It is said that Caral once housed around 3,000 inhabitants with the surrounding area being home to 20,000 or more. This demonstrates the probability that this site required a complex social structure as well. 

Some may question why anyone would choose this dry desert landscape to implement this type of urban design. it is simple. Caral is situated along the Supe River Valley. the people who settled this area are locally known as the Caral-Supe but you may also hear them called the Norte Chico Civilization. This green river valley allowed for irrigation that allowed for advancements in agriculture. 

This Pre-Incan civilization was also pre-ceramic. You may ask what types of cooking techniques they may use without ceramics. evidence shows that plant materials such as gourds were stuffer with meats and vegetables (potatoes, peppers, corn) and placed into a hearth like the one seen below. 

It has been determined that Caral was a center of commerce. Like I mentioned before, agriculture was a big deal here too, and this included the growing of cotton to produce textiles and nets. The nets were then traded to nearby costal villages to be used  for fishing. Ecofacts found on  tis site include shells and various fish remains. 

This site even exhibits evidence of plant matter that comes from the Andes. Other sample come all the way from the Amazon, displaying a very wide range of trade. Throughout these ruins there has even been evidence recovered of herbal medicines. other artifacts include wind instruments carved from the bones of various bird and animal bones. 

You will find several stone pyramids along the pathways here in Caral, and these actually date to around the same time of those you will see in Egypt. ​

If you decide to tempt your fates in this seemingly unforgiving environment, keep in mind that this is an active archaeological site. It interests me to think of what may be found out here next, and I hope to one day search deeper into the people that once called this place home. 

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