PERU: Archaeologist discover old city outside of Lima

Archaeologists in Peru announced on Wednesday (November 8) the discovery of what could be the oldest city in the Americas. Experts estimate the new ruins, about 120 kilometers north of Lima, to be contemporary or even older that the first inhabited city in the continent -- the sacred ruins of Caral, in the Peruvian Valley of Supe. Archeologists have unearthed what they believe served as a main ceremonial temple during the late pre-handcraft period. The 4850 year-old archaeological site will be known as Las Shicras. A shicra is a sort of basket made of vegetal fiber that ancient Peruvians used for the transport of rocks that served their constructions. The find revealed an ancient pyramid on the Valley of Chancay where the ruins overlook a river in the Peruvian district of Aucallama. According to experts, in this structure of stone and mud we find the cradle of American civilization. According to Walter Tosso, head of the archaeological team, if next excavations confirm this to be earlier than Caral, they will overwrite history. "What we see is a very old temple, undoubtedly the eldest temple in the Peruvian central coast. Thanks to items found inside the temple we can date back the find to approximately 2500-2850 B.C.," said Tosso. Looters accidentally discovered this major archaeological feature in 2002. The site was on the verge of collapse and preservation had to precede the archaeological exploration and study of the Pre-Inca ruins. The discovery is already being hailed as the confirmation that civilization began in the central coast of Peru. "Now we can conclude that all these temples indicate a high level of massive organization. We can't talk anymore of isolated societies but of a group of them instead. What we see it's a much more organic social structure capable of creating this kind of ceremonial centers," added Tosso. Pre-Columbian ruins make Peru one of the world major tourist destinations. In 1911, Yale archeologist Hiram Bingham stumbled on the ruined Inca citadel of Machu Picchu hidden in the clouds of the craggy Andean highlands. Machu Picchu, or "The Lost City of the Incas" is undoubtedly the most exciting find in Peru and one of the World Seven Wonders.

ITN Source | November 9, 2006

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