Lost Peruvian city Peñico reveals ancient trade networks, shedding light on 3,500-year-old civilisation
Drone footage released by researchers shows the city centre is marked by a circular structure on a hillside terrace, with remains of stone and mud buildings constructed some 600 metres (1,970 feet) above sea level.
The urban centre, named Peñico, is located in the northern Barranca province and was founded between 1,800 and 1,500 BC. It is close to where the Caral civilisation, the oldest in the Americas, developed 5,000 years ago.
Caral, comprised of 32 monumental structures, is considered a contemporary of civilisations in Egypt, India, Sumeria and China. However, unlike them, it developed in complete isolation, according to researchers.
Ruth Shady, the archaeologist who led the research into Peñico, said the newly unveiled city is key because experts believe it emerged after the Caral civilisation was devastated by climate change.
'They were situated in a strategic location for trade, for exchange with societies from the coast, the highlands and the jungle,' Shady said.
Archaeologist Marco Machacuay, a researcher with the Ministry of Culture, said at a news conference that Peñico's importance lies in it being the continuation of the Caral society.
After eight years of studies, researchers have identified up to 18 structures in Penico, including ceremonial temples and residential complexes.
The walls of a central plaza stand out for their sculptural reliefs and depictions of the pututu, a conch shell trumpet whose sound carries over long distances.
Aerial view of the archaeological zone in the northern Barranca province in this undated handout photo released on July 3, 2025. — Reuters pic/Caral Archaeological Zone handout
In other buildings, researchers found clay sculptures of human and animal figures, ceremonial objects and necklaces made from beads and seashells, they added.
Peru is a centre of ancient cultures and home to archaeological sites such as the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Cusco and the mysterious Nazca lines located in the desert region along the country's central coast. — Reuters
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Malay Mail
14 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Peru opens 3,800-year-old Caral citadel Penico to visitors after eight years of study and restoration
CARAL, July 13 — To the music of conch shell trumpets, a 3,800-year-old citadel of the Caral civilization—one of the oldest in the world—opened its doors to visitors in Peru yesterday, after eight years of study and restoration work. The archaeological site, known as Penico, was a meeting point for trade between the first human communities on the Pacific coast and those from the Andes and Amazon regions, researchers have said. Located in the Supe valley, some 110 miles (180 kilometers) north of the Peruvian capital Lima and around 12 miles from the Pacific ocean, Penico was a hilly landscape before exploration work began in 2017. Archaeologists believe it could hold insights into why the Caral civilization—which flourished between 3,000 and 1,800 BC—faded. At the opening ceremony, artists from the region played pututus—the traditional shell trumpets—during an ancestral ritual offering to the Pachamama, Mother Earth, consisting of agricultural products, coca leaves and local drinks. Penico was an 'organized urban center devoted to agriculture and trade between the coast, the mountains and the forest,' archaeologist Ruth Shady, who leads research on the site, told AFP. The site itself dates back to between 1,800 and 1,500 BC, she added. It was built on a geological terrace 2000 feet (600 meters) above sea level, parallel to a river to avoid flooding. Research carried out by the Peruvian Ministry of Culture has identified 18 constructions, including buildings and residential complexes. Researchers believe that it was built at the same time as the first civilizations in the Middle East and Asia. Shady said researchers are hoping the site can shed light on the crisis they think helped hasten the end of the Caral civilization. This crisis, she said, was linked to climatic changes that led to droughts and affected agricultural activities in the region. 'We want to understand how the Caral civilization formed and developed over time, and how it came to be in crisis as a result of climate change,' she added. — AFP
Malay Mail
6 days ago
- Malay Mail
Lost Peruvian city Peñico reveals ancient trade networks, shedding light on 3,500-year-old civilisation
LIMA, July 8 — Archaeologists last week unveiled a 3,500-year-old city in Peru that likely served as a trading hub linking Pacific coast cultures with those in the Andes and Amazon, flourishing around the same time as early civilisations in the Middle East and Asia. Drone footage released by researchers shows the city centre is marked by a circular structure on a hillside terrace, with remains of stone and mud buildings constructed some 600 metres (1,970 feet) above sea level. The urban centre, named Peñico, is located in the northern Barranca province and was founded between 1,800 and 1,500 BC. It is close to where the Caral civilisation, the oldest in the Americas, developed 5,000 years ago. Caral, comprised of 32 monumental structures, is considered a contemporary of civilisations in Egypt, India, Sumeria and China. However, unlike them, it developed in complete isolation, according to researchers. Ruth Shady, the archaeologist who led the research into Peñico, said the newly unveiled city is key because experts believe it emerged after the Caral civilisation was devastated by climate change. 'They were situated in a strategic location for trade, for exchange with societies from the coast, the highlands and the jungle,' Shady said. Archaeologist Marco Machacuay, a researcher with the Ministry of Culture, said at a news conference that Peñico's importance lies in it being the continuation of the Caral society. After eight years of studies, researchers have identified up to 18 structures in Penico, including ceremonial temples and residential complexes. The walls of a central plaza stand out for their sculptural reliefs and depictions of the pututu, a conch shell trumpet whose sound carries over long distances. Aerial view of the archaeological zone in the northern Barranca province in this undated handout photo released on July 3, 2025. — Reuters pic/Caral Archaeological Zone handout In other buildings, researchers found clay sculptures of human and animal figures, ceremonial objects and necklaces made from beads and seashells, they added. Peru is a centre of ancient cultures and home to archaeological sites such as the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Cusco and the mysterious Nazca lines located in the desert region along the country's central coast. — Reuters
Malay Mail
6 days ago
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‘Puzzle of gold': Egyptian team restores Tutankhamun's relics ahead of Grand Museum launch
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