logo
Archaeologists find 3,500-year-old lost city in Peru

Archaeologists find 3,500-year-old lost city in Peru

Telegraph06-07-2025
Archaeologists have discovered a city in Peru thought to be about 3,500 years old.
The city, called Penico, is likely to have served as a trading post linking early Pacific coast communities with those living in the Andes mountains and Amazon basin.
Located around 200 miles north of Lima in the country's Barranca province, the urban centre sits on a hillside around 1,970ft above sea level and is believed to have been founded between 1,800 and 1,500BC – around the same time as early civilisations flourished in the Middle East and Asia.
Drone footage of the site taken by researchers shows a circular structure on a hillside terrace at the city's centre, surrounded by the remains of stone and mud buildings.
The site bears a striking resemblance to the ancient city of Caral, the oldest civilisation in the Americas, 17 miles to the west.
Scientists believe the city may have been formed after Caral collapsed as a result of climate change.
Having emerged around 5,000 years ago, Caral is considered a contemporary of civilisations in Egypt, India, Sumeria and China. Yet unlike them, it developed in complete isolation, according to researchers.
Caral's two sunken circular courts are believed to have served as ceremonial spaces for gatherings and rituals.
Ruth Shady, the archaeologist who led the research into Penico and the excavation of Caral in the 1990s, said the newly unveiled city is especially important for understanding what became of the Caral civilisation after it was devastated by environmental changes..
'They were situated in a strategic location for trade, for exchange with societies from the coast, the highlands and the jungle,' Ms Shady said.
Marco Machacuay, an archaeologist and researcher with Peru's ministry of culture, said that Penico's importance lies in it being the continuation of the Caral society, which fell into decline around 1,800BC, possibly because of drought and flooding.
After eight years of research, archaeologists have identified up to 18 structures in Penico, including ceremonial temples, residential complexes and murals.
The walls of a central plaza stand out for their sculptural reliefs and depictions of the pututu, a conch shell trumpet used in religious ceremonies whose sound carries over long distances.These are believed to have been symbols of power and authority in Penico society.
In other buildings, researchers found human remains, clay sculptures of human and animal figures, ceremonial objects and necklaces made from beads and seashells.
The combination of artefacts from the site blend influences from the coast, the mountains and the jungle, leading archaeologists to conclude that the city was a nexus for trade in the region.
Yoshio Cano, a spokesman for the Caral Archaeological Zone, told local media: 'Evidence has been found of a great deal of trade not only in the Supe Valley, but also with the Huaura Valley, because it is located in a very strategic place in the Supe Valley (...) And, in addition, evidence has been found of integration also with the mountain and jungle areas, and over long distances.'
Penico officially opened its doors for tourists to visit the ancient city on July 3.
As part of the project, ceremonial spaces within the city have been digitally reconstructed to enable visitors to see what the city would have looked like in its prime.
Peru is home to many of America's most significant archaeological discoveries, including the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu and the mysterious Nazca lines, located in a desert region along the country's central coast.
The Machu Picchu mountain citadel was built by the Inca empire around the time of the 15th century, hundreds of years after Penico flourished as a city.
Meanwhile, the Nazca Lines, a series of images etched into the ground resembling animals, are thought to date to between 200BC and 500AD.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

One of the world's oldest grave sites discovered in secluded cave
One of the world's oldest grave sites discovered in secluded cave

The Independent

timean hour ago

  • The Independent

One of the world's oldest grave sites discovered in secluded cave

Archaeologists in central Israel 's Tinshemet Cave believe they have discovered one of the world's oldest grave sites, containing human remains dating back 100,000 to 110,000 years. The carefully arranged remains, found in pits and often in a foetal position, indicate intentional burial practices by early humans. Objects such as basalt pebbles, animal remains, and ochre fragments found alongside the skeletons suggest ceremonial rituals and an early understanding of spirituality or the afterlife. The exceptional preservation of bones, tools, and ornaments at Tinshemet Cave, due to ash and limestone, provides crucial insights into human evolution and behaviour during the Middle Paleolithic era. Experts say the discovery reinforces previous findings in the region, confirming a pattern of widespread burial practices and highlighting a significant shift in how early humans treated their dead.

Secrets of ancient burial practices revealed by cave discovery
Secrets of ancient burial practices revealed by cave discovery

The Independent

time2 hours ago

  • The Independent

Secrets of ancient burial practices revealed by cave discovery

Archaeologists think they have found one of the world's oldest burial sites in a cave in central Israel. The carefully arranged remains of early humans, dating back some 100,000 years, have been discovered in pits. The find at Tinshemet Cave, which was detailed in an academic journal earlier this year, builds on previous discoveries in the Middle East country and adds to a growing understanding of the origins of human burial. Of particular interest are the objects found alongside the remains, such as basalt pebbles, animal remains, or fragments of ochre, a reddish pigment. These items may have been used during ceremonies to honour the dead and could shed light on how our ancient ancestors thought about spirituality and the afterlife. "This is an amazing revolutionary innovation for our species. It's actually the first time we are starting to use this behaviour," Yossi Zaidner, an archaeology professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and co-director of the Tinshemet excavation, said. Archaeologists working at Tinshemet since 2016 have discovered the remains of five early humans, which have been dated, using various technologies, to around 110,000 to 100,000 years ago. The skeletons were found in pits and carefully arranged in a foetal position, which is known as a burial position. These objects, some sourced from hundreds of kilometres away, had no known practical use for daily life, so experts believe they were part of rituals meant to honour the dead. A bridge between peoples Tinshemet Cave is a dark slash in central Israel's rolling hills filled with squeaking fruit bats. Inside and around the cave is an unassuming stone mound which Mr Zaidner calls 'one of the three or four most important sites for study of human evolution and behaviour during the Paleolithic time'. The Paleolithic era, also known as the Stone Age because of the onset of stone tools, lasted from as early as 3.3 million years ago until around 10,000 years ago. Tinshemet Cave is from the Middle Paleolithic era, roughly between 250,000 to 30,000 years ago. Some of the Tinshemet researchers' core findings were published in March in Nature Human Behavior. A key discovery were the remains of five early humans, including two full skeletons and three isolated skulls with other bones and teeth. Also of note were more than 500 differently sized fragments of red and orange ochre, a pigment created by heating iron-rich stones to a certain temperature – evidence that early humans had the means to create decorative objects. 'Here we see a really complex set of behaviors, not related to just food and surviving,' Mr Zaidner said. Using hand chisels and delicate, pen-sized pneumatic drills that resemble dental tools, archaeologists will need many more years to excavate the site. The field work, which started in 2016, is usually done over the summer months. This year, a dozen archaeology undergraduate and graduate students fanned out across the site, painstakingly documenting and removing each fragment of tool, object or bone. At the entrance to the cave, the skull of one of the early humans is slowly emerging from the rock sediment; it will be years before it is fully excavated. Tinshemet is exceptionally important to archaeologists because the local climate preserved the bones, tools, and ornaments in good condition, unlike many other parts of the world where these items were lost to time, said Christian Tryon, a professor at the University of Connecticut and a research associate at the Human Origins Program at the Smithsonian Institution, who was not involved in the study. The skeletons and objects were so well preserved because of ash from frequent fires, likely for rituals. This large amount of ash mixed with rainfall and Israel's acidic limestone, creating optimal conditions for perseveration. One skeleton was in such good condition archaeologists could see how the fingers were interwoven, hands clasped beneath the head. A window into a little-known period Mr Tryon said the Tinshemet findings are bolstering earlier discoveries from two similar burial sites dating back to the same period in northern Israel: Skhul Cave and Qafzeh Cave. Skhul Cave was excavated almost 100 years ago, and Qafzeh Cave mostly around 50 years ago, when archaeological practices were more haphazard. 'There were so many uncertainties with those sites, but this is confirming it's a pattern we know, and they're really nailing down the dates,' Mr Tryon said. Tinshemet has helped archaeologists conclude that burial practices started to become more widespread during this time, representing a shift in how early humans treated their dead. Some archaeologists believe intentional burials started earlier. In South Africa, the Homo naledi species – an ancient cousin of Homo sapiens – may have been intentionally placing their dead in caves as early as 200,000 years ago. But many archaeologists said the findings are controversial and there is not enough evidence to support the claim of intentional burials. A bridge between peoples In ancient times, Israel was a bridge between Neanderthals from Europe and Homo sapiens from Africa. Archaeologists have identified other subgroups of early humans in the area, and believe the groups interacted and may have interbred. Experts have been studying the two full skeletons brought from Tinshemet for years, but it's still unclear if they were Neanderthals, Homo sapiens, a hybrid population or another group altogether. The mix of subgroups created opportunities for different groups of early humans to exchange knowledge or express identity, said Mr Zaidner. It is around this time that archaeologists first see examples of early jewellery or body painting, which could be ways early humans started outwardly belonging to a certain group, drawing boundaries between 'us' and 'them', he said. Israel Hershkovitz, a physical anthropologist at Tel Aviv University and the co-director of the Tinshemet site, said the concept of cemeteries in prehistoric life is important because it symbolises 'a kind of a territory'. He said that same kind of claim over land where ancestors are buried still echoes in the region. 'It's a kind of claim you make to the neighbours, saying 'this is my territory, this part of the land belongs to my father and my forefather' and so on and so on.'

In a cave in Israel, 100,00-year-old bones tell a story about the origins of burial rites
In a cave in Israel, 100,00-year-old bones tell a story about the origins of burial rites

The Independent

time4 hours ago

  • The Independent

In a cave in Israel, 100,00-year-old bones tell a story about the origins of burial rites

Archaeologists believe they have found one of the oldest burial sites in the world at a cave in Israel, where the well-preserved remains of early humans dating back some 100,000 years were carefully arranged in pits. The findings at Tinshemet Cave in central Israel, published in an academic journal earlier this year, build on previous discoveries in northern Israel and add to a growing understanding of the origins of human burial. Of particular interest to archaeologists are objects found beside the remains that may have been used during ceremonies to honor the dead and could shed light on how our ancient ancestors thought about spirituality and the afterlife. 'This is an amazing revolutionary innovation for our species," said Yossi Zaidner, one of the directors of the Tinshemet excavation and a professor of archaeology at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. "It's actually the first time we are starting to use this behavior.' Archaeologists working at Tinshemet since 2016 have discovered the remains of five early humans that date back to around 110,000 to 100,000 years ago, according to various technologies. The skeletons were discovered in pits and carefully arranged in a fetal position, which is known as a burial position, said Zaidner. Many were found with objects, such as basalt pebbles, animal remains or fragments of ochre, a reddish pigment made from iron-rich rocks. These objects, some sourced from hundreds of kilometers (miles) away, had no known practical use for daily life, so experts believe they were part of rituals meant to honor the dead. A bridge between peoples Tinshemet Cave is a dark slash in central Israel's rolling hills filled with squeaking fruit bats. Inside and around the cave is an unassuming stone mound which Zaidner calls 'one of the three or four most important sites for study of human evolution and behavior during the Paleolithic time.' The Paleolithic era, also known as the Stone Age because of the onset of stone tools, lasted from as early as 3.3 million years ago until around 10,000 years ago. Tinshemet Cave is from the Middle Paleolithic era, roughly between 250,000 to 30,000 years ago. Some of the Tinshemet researchers' core findings were published in March in Nature Human Behavior. A key discovery were the remains of five early humans, including two full skeletons and three isolated skulls with other bones and teeth. Also of note were more than 500 differently sized fragments of red and orange ochre, a pigment created by heating iron-rich stones to a certain temperature — evidence that early humans had the means to create decorative objects. 'Here we see a really complex set of behaviors, not related to just food and surviving,' Zaidner said. Using hand chisels and delicate, pen-sized pneumatic drills that resemble dental tools, archaeologists will need many more years to excavate the site. The field work, which started in 2016, is usually done over the summer months. This year, a dozen archaeology undergraduate and graduate students fanned out across the site, painstakingly documenting and removing each fragment of tool, object or bone. At the entrance to the cave, the skull of one of the early humans is slowly emerging from the rock sediment; it will be years before it is fully excavated. Tinshemet is exceptionally important to archaeologists because the local climate preserved the bones, tools, and ornaments in good condition, unlike many other parts of the world where these items were lost to time, said Christian Tryon, a professor at the University of Connecticut and a research associate at the Human Origins Program at the Smithsonian Institution, who was not involved in the study. The skeletons and objects were so well preserved because of ash from frequent fires, likely for rituals. This large amount of ash mixed with rainfall and Israel's acidic limestone, creating optimal conditions for perseveration. One skeleton was in such good condition archaeologists could see how the fingers were interwoven, hands clasped beneath the head. A window into a little-known period Tryon said the Tinshemet findings are bolstering earlier discoveries from two similar burial sites dating back to the same period in northern Israel — Skhul Cave and Qafzeh Cave. Skhul Cave was excavated almost 100 years ago, and Qafzeh Cave mostly around 50 years ago, when archaeological practices were more haphazard. 'There were so many uncertainties with those sites, but this is confirming it's a pattern we know, and they're really nailing down the dates,' Tryon said. Tinshemet has helped archaeologists conclude that burial practices started to become more widespread during this time, representing a shift in how early humans treated their dead. Some archaeologists believe intentional burials started earlier. In South Africa, the Homo naledi species – an ancient cousin of Homo sapiens – may have been intentionally placing their dead in caves as early as 200,000 years ago. But many archaeologists said the findings are controversial and there is not enough evidence to support the claim of intentional burials. A bridge between peoples In ancient times, Israel was a bridge between Neanderthals from Europe and Homo sapiens from Africa. Archaeologists have identified other subgroups of early humans in the area, and believe the groups interacted and may have interbred. Experts have been studying the two full skeletons brought from Tinshemet for years, but it's still unclear if they were Neanderthals, Homo sapiens, a hybrid population or another group altogether. The mix of subgroups created opportunities for different groups of early humans to exchange knowledge or express identity, said Zaidner. It's around this time that archaeologists first see examples of early jewelry or body painting, which could be ways early humans started outwardly belonging to a certain group, drawing boundaries between 'us' and 'them,' he said. Israel Hershkovitz, a physical anthropologist at Tel Aviv University and the co-director of the Tinshemet site, said the concept of cemeteries in prehistoric life is important because it symbolizes 'a kind of a territory.' He said that same kind of claim over land where ancestors are buried still echoes in the region. 'It's a kind of claim you make to the neighbors, saying 'this is my territory, this part of the land belongs to my father and my forefather' and so on and so on.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store