Penico Citadel seen from above. (Photo: Peruvian Ministry of Culture)
On July 12, amid the sound of conch shell trumpets, Penico - a 3,800-year-old citadel of the Caral civilization, one of the world's oldest civilizations in Peru - officially opened to visitors after 8 years of research and restoration.
Researchers say the Penico archaeological site is located in the Supe Valley, about 180km north of Peru's capital Lima.
Before the expedition began in 2017, Penico was just a mountainous area. However, the ancient city, which dates back to 1,800-1,500 BC, was a trading post between the first communities on the Pacific coast and those from the Andes and Amazon.
Archaeologists believe it could hold insights into why the Caral civilisation – which flourished from 3,000-1,800 BC – declined.
Archaeologist Ruth Shady, who led research at the site, said Penico was an "organized urban center focused on agriculture and trade amid the coast, mountains and jungle."
Penico was built on a geological shelf 600m above sea level, parallel to a river to avoid flooding. Researchers believe that this ancient city was built at the same time as the first civilizations in the Middle East and Asia.
Through archaeological research conducted by the Peruvian Ministry of Culture, 18 structures, including buildings and residential areas of this ancient citadel, have been identified.
The Caral civilization, also known as Norte Chico, is one of the oldest civilizations in the Americas, which developed in the coastal region of north-central Peru.
This civilization is notable for its massive architectural works, especially pyramids and plazas, which are believed to have developed before other civilizations in Central and South America.
According to researchers, the collapse of this civilization was related to climate change at that time./.
(Vietnam+)
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/peru-mo-cua-di-tich-3800-nam-tuoi-he-lo-dau-tich-nen-van-minh-co-dai-bi-an-post1049403.vnp
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