Latest news with #Penico
Al Jazeera
15 hours ago
- Science
- Al Jazeera
Photos: Peru reopens 3,800-year-old Penico archaeological site for visitors
Published On 15 Jul 2025 15 Jul 2025 A 3,800-year-old citadel of the Caral civilisation – one of the world's oldest – has reopened for visitors in Peru after eight years of comprehensive restoration and research. Researchers have identified the Penico archaeological site as a vital trading centre that connected early Pacific coastal communities with those in the Andes and Amazon regions. Located in the Supe Valley, about 180km (110 miles) north of Lima and only 19km (12 miles) from the Pacific Ocean, Penico was an unremarkable hilly landscape until excavations commenced in 2017. Archaeologists believe the site could provide crucial information about the enigmatic collapse of the Caral civilisation, which flourished between 3,000 and 1,800 BC. The opening ceremony featured regional artists playing pututus – traditional shell trumpets – as part of an ancient ritual honouring Pachamama, Mother Earth, with ceremonial offerings of agricultural products, coca leaves, and local beverages. 'Penico was an organised urban centre devoted to agriculture and trade between the coast, the mountains and the forest,' archaeologist Ruth Shady, who leads research at the site, told the AFP news agency. She said the settlement dates to between 1,800 and 1,500 BC. The site demonstrates sophisticated planning, strategically built on a geological terrace 600 metres (2,000ft) above sea level and parallel to a river to avoid flooding. Research by the Peruvian Ministry of Culture has uncovered 18 distinct structures, including public buildings and residential complexes. Scholars believe Penico was built during the same period as the earliest civilisations in the Middle East and Asia. According to Shady, researchers hope the site will shed light on the crisis they believe hastened the Caral civilisation's decline. This crisis, she explained, was linked to climate change that caused droughts and disrupted agricultural activities throughout the region. 'We want to understand how the Caral civilisation formed and developed over time, and how it came to be in crisis as a result of climate change,' she said.
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Science
- 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
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Archaeologists find 3,500-year-old lost city in Peru
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 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. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
06-07-2025
- Science
- Telegraph
Archaeologists find 3,500-year-old lost city in Peru
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 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.
