UNESCO calls Caral-Supe in Peru the oldest known centre of civilization in the Americas, with roots about 5,000 years ago. Its monumental city overlapped with the building of Egypt's Giza pyramids. Caral-Supe flourished for more than a millennium before being largely abandoned around 1800 BCE. No fortifications or weapons have been reported, though that is not proof its people were always peaceful. The video argues that earthquakes and climatic upheaval contributed to the abandonment, and presents Caral's stone-and-mud building method as a precursor to later Inca construction. Those interpretations are not settled conclusions.
Caral-Supe: Peru's 5,000-year-old city with no known fortifications
PeruGeneral
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Key facts
- UNESCO identifies Caral-Supe as the oldest known centre of civilization in the Americas, with roots roughly 5,000 years ago.
- Caral-Supe's chronology is based mainly on radiocarbon dating; its main urban phase overlapped with Egypt's Old Kingdom and the construction of the Giza pyramids.
- The settlement lasted for more than a millennium and was largely abandoned around 1800 BCE, about 3,800 years ago.
- No fortifications or weapons have been reported from excavations, but this does not establish that the population was always peaceful.
- Earthquakes and severe climatic events are proposed explanations for the decline, not conclusively established causes.
- Caral used rough stone set in mud mortar. The video's claim that this method directly evolved into the construction of Machu Picchu and Ollantaytambo is an interpretation rather than a demonstrated lineage.
Sources
Caral–Supe civilization - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Caral–Supe (also known as Caral and Norte Chico) was a complex Pre-Columbian era society that included as many as thirty major population centers
The Lost Pyramids of Caral in Peru are 5000 years oldblog.wealthplanning.tv
'The pyramids of Caral in Peru are approximately 5,000 years old. This makes Caral the oldest known city in the Americas and one of the ...
Sacred City of Caral-Supe - UNESCO World Heritage Centrewhc.unesco.org
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 ...
Caral the Oldest City in South America - Leading Peru Travelleadingperutravel.com
Unlike many other ancient societies, Caral shows no evidence of weapons, fortresses, or warfare. ... Recognized as Caral the oldest city in South America, dating ...
This Peruvian Civilization Built Pyramids as Old as Egypt's | HISTORYhistory.com
Archaeologists consider Caral one of the largest and most complex urban centers built by the oldest known civilization in the Western Hemisphere ...
Caral, the oldest civilization in Americaphimavoyages.com
Caral is considered the oldest civilization in America. It developed in the northern half of Peru. Today, we can visit the traces of this civilization in ...
the Earliest Civilization In South America: Sacred City of Caral- ...unesco.org
The 5000-year-old 626-hectare archaeological site of The Sacred City of Caral-Supe is situated on a dry desert terrace overlooking the green ...
The Incredible Finds From Caral-Supe, Americas' Oldest ...thecollector.com
The 5000-year-old city of Caral-Supe reshapes modern understanding of South America's ancient civilizations, with archaeological finds ...
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