Guitarrero Cave

Guitarrero Cave, located in the Callejón de Huaylas valley in Peru's Ancash region, sits 50 m above the Santa River at 2,580 m elevation [1]. Archaeological evidence shows human occupation from around 8,000 BC, with a human mandible and teeth discovered there carbon-dated to 10,610 BC, making it one of the oldest known human remains sites in the Americas [2]. The cave contains Archaic period campfires dating between 8500 and 7000 BC, indicating prolonged human activity throughout the early Holocene [2].