The Sacred City of Caral-Supe, also called Caral, is an archaeological site in Peru where the remains of the main city of the Caral civilization are found. It is located in the Supe District of Peru, near the town of Caral, 182 kilometers (113 miles) north of Lima, 23 kilometers (14 miles) from the coast, and 350 meters above sea level. It is about 5,000 years old and is considered the oldest city in the Americas and one of the oldest in the world. No other site has been found with such a variety of large buildings or different ceremonial and administrative purposes in the Americas as early as Caral. It has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its cultural importance.

The Caral culture existed between 3000 and 1800 BC, during the Late Archaic and Lower Formative periods. In the Americas, it is the oldest known pre-Hispanic civilization, developing 1,500 years before the Olmec civilization, which was the first complex society in Mesoamerica.

Near Caral was another early city called Áspero or El Áspero, located on the coast near the mouth of the Supe River. There, remains of human sacrifices, including two children and a newborn, have been discovered. In 2016, the remains of a woman were found, suggesting she was part of the local elite around 2500 BC.

History

Caral was occupied from about 2600 BC to 2000 BC, and the site covers more than 60 hectares (150 acres). Archaeologists have called Caral the oldest urban center in the Americas. This claim has been questioned because other ancient sites, such as Bandurria, Peru, were also found nearby. Caral was home to more than 3,000 people and is one of the best studied and largest sites of the Norte Chico civilization.

The city was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009. In early 2021, conflicts arose between people living on the land without permission and archaeologists, as new housing construction spread into the site.

In 2025, Peñico was opened to the public.

• The Caral temples are located in the dry Supe Valley, about 20 km from the Pacific coast.

Archaeological findings

Max Uhle discovered Caral in 1905 while studying ancient Peruvian cities and cemeteries. He did not recognize the hills at the site as pyramids and considered them unimportant. In 1948, Paul Kosok studied Caral more thoroughly. At that time, the site received little attention because its size and complexity led others to doubt its age, as they believed it was built more recently than Kosok claimed.

In 1975, the Peruvian architect Carlos Williams recorded details of most archaeological sites in the Supe Valley, including Caral. Based on his observations, he made notes about the development of Andean architecture.

Ruth Shady explored Caral, a city in the Peruvian desert that is 4,000 to 4,600 years old. It includes temples, an amphitheater, and homes. The city covers 150 hectares (370 acres) and has plazas and residential buildings. Caral was a large and active city around the same time as the great pyramids of Egypt, which is one of the earliest known civilizations.

Caral is the largest known site in the Andean region, with dates older than 2000 BC. It is believed to have influenced the urban designs of later Andean civilizations that existed over thousands of years. Scholars think research at Caral may help explain the origins of Andean civilizations and the development of their first cities.

Artifacts found at Caral include a knotted textile called a quipu. Researchers say this artifact shows that the quipu record-keeping system, which used knots in textiles and was later used by the Inca Empire, existed earlier than previously thought. Evidence suggests the quipu may have also recorded information similar to writing. Gary Urton proposed that quipus used a binary code to record sounds or written symbols.

The main temple complex (Spanish: Templo Mayor) is 150 meters (490 feet) long, 110 meters (360 feet) wide, and 28 meters (92 feet) high. Its construction date is unknown.

Shady’s findings suggest Caral was a society focused on trade and enjoyment. No signs of warfare, such as weapons or battle scars, have been found at Caral. This is different from the older site of Sechin Bajo, where weapons are shown. In one Caral temple, researchers found 32 flutes made of condor and pelican bones and 37 cornetts made of deer and llama bones. One discovery included the remains of a baby wrapped in a necklace of stone beads.

Some excavations uncovered human remains linked to ceremonies or construction, suggesting certain rituals involved the deliberate killing of people. One skeleton is the earliest known evidence of human sacrifice in the Andes, dating to about 3000 BC. The skeleton’s position and injuries, such as broken bones and cut fingers, suggest the person may have been a worker or prisoner offered as a sacrifice.

Caral was surrounded by 19 other temple complexes spread across 90 square kilometers (35 square miles) in the Supe Valley.

The date of 2627 BC for Caral comes from carbon dating of reed and woven bags found on site. These bags were used to carry stones for building temples. The material is ideal for precise dating. The site may be even older, as samples from the oldest parts of the site have not yet been tested.

Caral had a population of about 3,000 people. However, 19 other nearby sites suggest a total population of 20,000 people in the Supe Valley, all sharing similar cultural features. Shady believes Caral was the center of this civilization, which may have been part of a larger cultural network trading with coastal and inland regions. She suggests a depiction of monkeys may indicate trade with communities along the Amazon.

In 2000, Marco Machacuay and Rocío Aramburú discovered a large image etched into the desert floor near Caral. This geoglyph, shaped like a human face with long hair and an open mouth, is similar to other carved figures found at Cerro Sechín, 240 kilometers (150 miles) to the north. The meaning of the figure is unknown, but it is believed to be from the same time as Caral and linked to a nearby ceremonial site called Chupacigarro.

Another important discovery was a collection of musical instruments, including 37 cornetts made of deer and llama bones and 33 flutes with unusual designs. The flutes were dated to about 2170 BC.

City layout

The city of Caral was divided into two sections: an "Upper Half" and a "Lower Half." These sections were naturally separated by the Supe River Valley. In the Upper Half, there are six large structures. Each includes a pyramid, an open area, and groups of homes. In the Lower Half, there are homes, small pyramids, and one large structure called the "Temple of the Amphitheater."

The large structures in the Upper Half were built around pyramids. These pyramids are named the "Great Temple/Great Pyramid," "Central Pyramid," "Quarry Pyramid," "Lesser Pyramid," "Pyramid of the Gallery," and "Pyramid of the Huanca." The homes near these pyramids show signs of wealthy people living there. Food remains, such as sea lion bones, suggest these people had special diets. Many residents in the Upper Half were wealthy and likely participated in religious and social events at the temples.

The homes in the Lower Half have fewer signs of wealthy people. These homes are smaller, and rooms are used for multiple purposes. People living in the Lower Half mostly ate plants and some fish, which was less rich compared to the diets of the wealthy in the Upper Half.

Experts believe the city was planned this way on purpose. The Upper Half's large buildings were meant to house wealthy people and show their power. The Lower Half was for workers, with the river separating the two groups. This planning shows that there was unequal treatment in society, which kept social classes separate.