Caral – 5000 year old city, the oldest in the Americas

In the United States and Europe it is usually taught that the oldest civilizations in the world were Mesopotamia, Egypt, China and India. However, history is literally being rewritten as new discoveries over the past 20 years have come to include the Norte Chico civilization of Supe, Peru – the first known civilization of the Americas in the list of the world most ancient (old) civilizations.

Findings have confirmed Caral was established more than 5000 years ago, between the 26th and 20th century BC.

Image Source: Planedia Team

Caral was a prosperous city at the same time as the Great Pyramids of Ancient Egypt, making it older than Ancient Greece and Rome. It was also an Ancient city which grew not from war, but rather commerce. Carbon dating of artifacts and fossils found in Caral show the city was a center of trade, as is evident of excavated items that originate from the Amazon, Andes Mountains and Pacific Ocean.

UNESCO writes “The Sacred City of Caral-Supe reflects the rise of civilisation in the Americas. As a fully developed socio-political state, it is remarkable for its complexity and its impact on developing settlements throughout the Supe Valley and beyond… The design of both the architectural and spatial components of the city is masterful, and the monumental platform mounds and recessed circular courts are powerful and influential expressions of a consolidated state.”