Caral Civilization

The civilization of Caral Caral-Supe or or Norte Chico is a complex pre-Columbian society that included thirty major centers of population in what is now the region of Norte Chico in the north central coast of Peru , about 200 km of Lima. It is the oldest known American civilization whose golden age is between ^XXX and the ^eighteenth century BC. AD . His other name, Caral-Supe, is the archaeological site of Caral in the Supe River Valley. This company Norte Chico emerged just a millennium after that of Sumer , was contemporaneous with the pyramids of ancient Egypt and preceded that of the Olmec by nearly two millennia.

Remains of the pyramids of Caral civilization

Features

In archaeological nomenclature, Caral is a culture of pre-ceramic Archaic Late Precolumbian ; there is no pottery found and, according to archaeological evidence, it seems to have been largely devoid of artistic achievements. The most impressive achievement of this civilization was its monumental architecture, including raised platforms and sunken circular seating. Archaeological evidence suggests a possible control of the textile and also linked to a cult of divine symbols, two recurring elements of pre-Columbian cultures. A complex form of government seems to have been set up to run the company, but questions remain about its organization and, in particular, the impact of the management of food resources on politics.

Archaeological Discovery

Archaeologists have become aware of ancient sites in this region of America at least since the 1940s. Earlier work were held at Aspero , near the coast, a site identified in 1905 , and later at Caral, further inland. Peruvian archaeologists led by Ruth Shady Solis provide the first comprehensive study of civilization in the late 1990's , through work undertaken at Caral . An article of 2001 published in Science magazine reports a study on Caral and in 2004 , an article in Nature describes the fieldwork and radiocarbon dates performed on a larger area . These show the importance of the civilization of Caral and piqued the curiosity of the public .

History and Geography

Chronology

Caral civilization flourished between 3000 and 1800 BC. AD , at the same time as the Valdivia culture in Ecuador. Caral complex society emerged just a millennium after the Sumerians and was contemporary with the pyramids of Egypt , and it preceded the Mesoamerican Olmec by nearly two millennia.

The Peruvian Andean has been recognized as a development zone of civilizations, as well as the Fertile Crescent , for example. These regions are among six in the world, America has two, Peru and the Andean Mesoamerica .

The Chavin culture , circa 900 BC. BC , has long been considered the earliest civilization in the region and is still commonly cited as such.

Area Expansion

The discovery of the site of Caral has moved the research previously conducted in the highlands of the Andes (where the Chavin and the Incas had their major centers) to the Peruvian coast and coastal regions.

The site of Caral is located in an area north-east coast, about 200 kilometers from Lima and is roughly bounded by the valley of Lurin, south, and the valley of Casma in the North. It comprises four coastal valleys: Huaura, Suoe, Pativilca and Fortaleza. The known sites are concentrated in the first three valleys that share a common coastal plain. These cover only 1800 square kilometers and research focused on the centers of densest population.

In comparison with other global centers of development, the Peruvian coast is also a surprising candidate for the early development of a civilization. The region is extremely arid, due to the influence of the Andes to the east and the Pacific trade winds to the west, which stop the rain. However, the region dotted with more than fifty rivers that carry the snowmelt from the Andes and the development of a large irrigation water from these sources appears to be decisive in the emergence of Caral . All monumental architecture found on different sites were found near irrigation canals.

References

Leave a Reply