While my primary focus is to volunteer in the surrounding communities I am also here to learn more about the history and culture. On Saturday a group of us got up very early, 5:30am, and loaded into a van for a three hour drive. Our destination, Caral. So what is Caral you ask?
"Caral is a 5000-year-old 626-hectare archaeological site of The Sacred City of Caral-Supe is situated on a dry desert terrace overlooking the green valley of the Supe river. It dates back to the Late Archaic Period of the Central Andes and is the oldest centre of civilization in the Americas. Exceptionally well-preserved, the site is impressive in terms of its design and the complexity of its architectural, especially its monumental stone and earthen platform mounts and sunken circular courts. One of 18 urban settlements situated in the same area, Caral features complex and monumental architecture, including six large pyramidal structures. A quipu (the knot system used in Andean civilizations to record information) found on the site testifies to the development and complexity of Caral society. The city’s plan and some of its components, including pyramidal structures and residence of the elite, show clear evidence of ceremonial functions, signifying a powerful religious ideology. Caral is remarkably intact, largely because of its early abandonment and late discovery. Once abandoned, it appears to have been occupied only twice and then not systematically: once in the so-called Middle Formative or Early Horizon, about 1000 B.C.; and once in the States and Lordships period, between 900 and 1440 A.D. Since both these settlements were on the outskirts of the city, they did not disturb the ancient architectural structures. In addition, since the site lacked gold and silver finds, there was little looting. The site has no modern permanent constructions in its immediate surroundings (except for tourism facilities built from local materials). It is part of a cultural and natural landscape of great beauty, relatively untouched by development. Most development has occurred in low valley areas near Lima (to the south of the site). The middle Supe Valley, where the site is located, is an area dedicated to non-industrialised agriculture. There is little argument about the authenticity of the site. Radiocarbon analysis carried out by the Caral-Supe Special Archaeological Project (PEACS) at the Caral site confirms that the development of the site can be located in time between the years 3000 to 1800 B.C. and, more specifically, to the Late Archaic Period."
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1269
The drive there is long but with the great group that with went it was so much fun. Once we arrived we hiked for about 20 minutes to the site. As we approached the site you can see the pyramids rising out of the desert and it is such an awe inspiring moment. Prior to entering we purchased our tickets and with Enrique as our guide we set out into the ruins. There are approximately eight pyramids currently excavated and also a variety of homes, structures and an amphitheater. I had a moment of just shock by the remind of one home and adjacent temple. It is believed to be the home of a priest and the temple was where he worshipped with his congregation. I was more or less standing in the front yard of a 5,000 year old home. To think there were people here living in a community was simply mind blowing and surreal.
As we walked around the ruins it became apparent that another group of local visitors had taken an interest in us. So much so that they followed us throughout the ruins and frequently asked for certain group members to pose for pictures. One female group member with us became a celebrity of sorts as she was a blonde American and I guess blonde is not common here. So they absolutely loved her and others. It was a surprising experience and one that none of us anticipated but found fun.
In addition to the ruins there were two stones of significance that I found to be very interesting. First was a stone the rests at the foot of a temple and a spiral engraving on its surface. This spiral is the first documented reference and it has since become synonymous with Peru and is seen everywhere. This singular carving is where it began, on a stone slab in Caral. The second stone is equally impressive as the residents had an understanding of astronomy and this stone demonstrates this. It looks like a weathered stone to the passerby but in reality each indentation aligns with a constellation. When water would fill in the indentations the onlooker can see the stars reflected in the water.
Being in a recently discovered archeological site, 18 years old, and seeing the stone structures and learning the history made this a once in a life time event. It has been an incredible trip and I am so glad I was able to be apart of it.
ReplyDeleteRevision to my day trip in Caral.
There are two things I forgot to mention about the trip. During our drive to the site we had to enter a boarder crossing of sorts at which point the driver told us to be patient as we were instructed by the officers to pull over to the side of the road. At this point we were told give any form of identification we had over to the authorities and then to just wait and see. Since most of us didn't know or weren't told we didn't have anything to show, passports would have been ideal. I luckily had a photocopy of my passport so I used that. It took about twenty minutes but we were finally allowed to leave and our identifications were returned. I have never been part of something like this before and it was a little unnerving to see the authorities follow your vehicle to the side of the road, take your id's and the just wait and see.
Second thing was following the trip. We returned to downtown Lima and Plaza de Armas. As part of our guided tour dinner was included so we chose a little restaurant in the plaza that had an outdoor seating area. The food which included a chicken soup appetizer, chicken, rice and french fries were the main course and it was amazing. This was a great way to end another great day with some of the best people I know.