ARCHAEOLOGICAL WONDERS OF NORTHERN PERU

Northern Peru is an area not often explored by visitors, yet it is a region that holds hidden gems for adventurous Peru vacations. Most people have heard the legends of the Incas, MACHU PICCHU and the Sacred Valley, but how many people have heard of the Valley of Pyramids and the Temple of the Sun?

Many people are unaware that in Peru there were a great many civilizations that pre-dated the Inca. Northern Peru was once the center of several mighty civilizations including the Sipán, Moche, and Chimu.

THE ANCIENT SITE OF CHAN CHAN, NEAR THE CITY OF TRUJILLO, PERÚ.

Human remains have been found in the area that date back nearly 5,000 years – easily competing with many ancient sites of the ‘Old World’. Visitors to northern Peru can explore pyramids, wander around colonial cities, observe local rural lifestyles and enjoy the numerous awe-inspiring archaeological findings at local museums and ruins.

What makes these societies so mystical and wondrous is that not much is known about them; they used no form of writing to record their history – leaving their only messages through works of art and ceramics.

Archaeologists have to interpret what they find in order to piece together a story that is yearning to be told. There are numerous ruins, monuments and museums that piece together that story, for visitors and locals. However, just seeing the ancient sights makes you appreciate the complexity and organization of these cultures that existed before ours.

First time visitors should start their trip in the town of Trujillo, which is Peru’s third biggest city. Visitors can relax enjoying the cities colonial architectural heritage and take advantage of being close to a number of archaeological sites.

Nearby are the Temples of the Sun and Moon. The temples are two huge adobe brick buildings pyramid form, with a large flat area that was probably used for a town market.

The Temple of the Sun is the largest but sadly some of it was washed away due to looters as they deliberately diverted a river to try to find hidden gold. It is thought that this area was the former capital of the Moche civilization.

Also near to Trujillo is the site of Chan Chan, one of the most important archaeological sites in Peru. Chan Chan was the capital of the Chimu civilization, before their conquest by the Incas. It was the largest pre-Columbian city in South America; covering an area of over 20 km.

Visitors marvel at the wondrous art carved onto the city walls; decoration that is clearly visible throughout the site. Chan Chan is a marvelous adobe city that transports you back in time to a civilization and culture that has been lost.

On leaving Trujillo visitors should head to the coastal city of Chiclayo. The city is home to the Lord of Sipán exhibition at the Royal Tombs Museum. The Lord of Sipán was one of Peru’s most spectacular recent discoveries.

Found in 1987, the tomb was uncovered fully intact, which is what makes it such an important discovery that allowed archeologists to gain a better insight into the workings of the Moche people. Lambeque is also home to the National Archaeological and Anthropological Museum, the museum’s four stories house one of the best collections of gold, silver, and copper objects from the several cultures that flourished in the region over previous millennia.

The “Señora de Cao” or Lady of Cao, is a new discovery.

Chiclayo is also near to the ‘Valley of the Pyramids’. Tucume, as it is known to locals, is a huge complex that includes 26 large adobe pyramids that were built by the Sicán civilization in about 1000AD. The valley area was probably a regional centre of power and the valley contains a range of structures and pyramids that could have been used for a range of purposes.

In 2008 a new discovery was announced in just North of modern Chiclayo, Cerro Pátapo ruins are the ruins of the Wari culture. What is most remarkable is that it was thought the Wari only lived in the south, yet discovery here has had to change that perspective.

These are just a few of the many gems that exist in northern Peru, with new discoveries made frequently. Archaeologists are slowly learning, piecing together bits information to tell us the story of these great civilizations.

More info in:

 http://www.inkanatura.com/aboutculturesandarchaeologicalsites.asp

IN THE AMAZONAS

The fortress of Kuelap (or Cuélap), associated with the Chachapoyas culture, consists of massive exterior stone walls containing more than four hundred buildings. The structure, situated on a ridge overlooking the Utcubamba Valley in northern Peru, is roughly 600 meters in length and 110 meters in width. It could have been built to defend against the Huari or other hostile peoples however evidence of these hostile groups at the site is minimal. Radiocarbon dating samples show that the structures construction started in the 6th century AD and occupied until the Early Colonial period (1532-1570), however through the pre-Columbian, conquest and colonial periods we have only the four brief references to Kuelap. In lieu of newly discovered documents, there exists no other testimony concerning the site until 1843.

Read more in  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuelap

Clay tombs hold watch from the cliffs. Archaeological discoveries provide compelling evidence to the rich legacy of the Chachapoyan culture.

NEW DISCOVERY IN ANCASH

A few minutes south of the city of Casma, on the coast of the department of Ancash, in about four square kilometers of desert landscape stand two stone buildings called Chankillo. They were probably built in the decline of the Cupisnique and Chavin cultures, about 2,300 years. The first is apparently a fortress, the other is composed of thirteen towers will unveil its mysteries. Recent studies are showing that these towers erected by the ancient Peruvians keep an accurate record the movements of the sun, which makes them THE OLDEST ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY AROUND THE PLANET.

SOUTH OF LIMA :  CARAL - THE EARLIEST CIVILIZATION IN THE NEW WORLD

The most notable of the Norte Chico cities is Caral in the Supe Valley: Caral excavations were begun in 1994 by Ruth Shady Solís, a Peruvian anthropologist and archeologist. She is also founder and director of the Archeological project Caral.

The ruins of Caral are located in an arid region, but with nearby rivers, some 14 miles from the coast and 120 miles north of Peru’s modern capital city of Lima. Caral was inhabited between 2627 B.C. and 2020 B.C. and its land area was about 150 acres. Caral city was comprised of six pyramids (or platform mounds), two plazas, an amphitheatre, and ordinary houses. The population is estimated to have been about 3,000. The living arrangement seems to have been large, well kept rooms atop the pyramids for the elite, ground-level complexes for craftsmen, and shabbier outlying shantytowns for workers.

More info in:

http://www.go2peru.com/historical.htm

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