The Ancient City of Caral: A Travellers Perspective

By Marisol Mosquera, Aracari Travel
Article Published by Opportunities Magazine (British-Peruvian Chamber of Commerce June 2003)

CARAL has also been named “The Mother of all Cities”, as it is considered to be the oldest city in the Americas, dating as far back as 2670bC. This puts it on a par with the Pyramids at Giza in Egypt.

The archaeological complex of Caral is situated in the Supe valley approximately 200 km north of Lima and 23km inland from the coast. It consists of 6 excavated and partially excavated pyramids over 65 acres on a terrace 25m above the floodplain.

Humans have inhabited the earth for over five million years, but only six thousand years ago did they start building urban centres and roads to connect them. The first civilisations that developed independently in the world emerged in Mesopotamia, India, Egypt, Peru, China and Mesoamerica. Each of these civilisations show unique features that were motivated by diverse influences during their formation, be it of economic, political or religious nature. The study of these is important as they influenced the development of other societies at the same time and played a fundamental role in the development of those that came later. At the time when in Egypt the fourth dynasty lifted the great pyramid of Kheops in Giza, and the Sumerian cities were built in Mesopotamia, the first urban centres were being built in the Central Andes. The same phenomenon would take place in Mesoamerica but only 1000 years later.

For many years, locating the cradle of civilisation in the Americas had been a target of archaeologists. They focussed on excavating the Coastal desert of Peru, and over the years unearthed a number of sites corresponding to the late Archaic Period (3000bC) which is essentially the time when there is a significant advancement in the use of tools, (fishing nets and irrigation canals) and in the knowledge of how to improve production levels. This period is also called Pre Ceramic, as pottery was not yet a developed craft. Some of the cultures that emerged in the Central and Northern Andes and Coast during this time were: Huaircoto-Marcara, La Galgada, Kotosh and Piruro. From the same period was the settlement of Aspero on the coast of the Supe Valley, and further toward the northern coast we can find Las Haldas, Cerro Sechin, Las Salinas and Huaca Prieta.

One may then ask, if there are so many ancient settlements, what makes Caral so special? The answer is as simple as it is compelling: none of the above settlements had such a vast number of examples of public monumental architecture as those found in Caral. As a result of its dimensions and complexity it is now proposed that the urban centre of Caral was the seat of the first state government that was ever established in the territory that is now Peru.

Caral’s features reflect a complexity in the use of space, in architectural design and construction work. Over a total of over 65 hectares, there are buildings positioned following a predetermined pattern and the presence of six large pyramids (the largest 160m by 150m) and other smaller buildings each with its own set of auxiliary structures. There are also residential complexes of diverse dimensions, building technology and materials. There is a large sunken circular plaza that reminds us of an amphitheatre.

During the various centuries of occupation of Caral, there was a permanent programme of renovation and improvement of the architectural structures, which became increasingly more complex. This implied a growing in-depth experimentation and knowledge of the sciences, and reflects a highly evolved society.

As reflected by its architecture, Caral’s population was complex in organisation, with a well defined class system: a government elite and a population providing support. It appears that the political organisation achieved by this society integrated several communities where there was a substantial surplus of agriculture and fishing produce which gave way to extensive trade. This trade took place both between the coast and the valleys as well as with the jungle.

Evidence of the agriculture and fishing activity are the plant remains that abound at the site. The domesticated crops were mainly cotton but also squash, beans, lucuma, guava, pacae and sweet potato. The fish harvested include clams, mussels, anchovies and sardines. Fishing nets were made of cotton, some with stone weights and dry pumpkin shells, and agricultural instruments and grinders were made of stone.

A visit to Caral need not be only for archaeology enthusiasts. It is true that it is quite a long trek from Lima, taking up to 4 hours each way. The location is barren and there is little to do apart from visiting the site. There is also nowhere comfortable to spend the night near the site. However, the possibility of witnessing ongoing excavation, the significance of the discoveries, which are revealed to the tourist by the young archaeologists/guides from San Marcos University by far outweigh the tediousness of the journey, and make it a real worthwhile visit.