Caral-Supe Civilization: The First Civilization in the Americas and Peru's Oldest City

The Caral-Supe civilization, considered the first known civilization in the Americas, emerged around 5,000 years ago in the arid coastal region of present-day Peru. Often referred to as the "mother civilization" of the Andes, Caral-Supe predates other significant Andean cultures such as the Inca by millennia. Its capital city, Caral, located in the Supe Valley, is regarded as one of the oldest urban centers in the world. The discovery of this civilization has drastically reshaped our understanding of early American societies, highlighting the complexity and sophistication of pre-Columbian cultures in the Americas.

The story of Caral-Supe began with its discovery in the early 1990s, when archaeologist Ruth Shady and her team identified the ancient city of Caral, which had been largely overlooked until then. The site’s impressive architectural features and its well-planned urban layout revealed that the civilization had a deep understanding of engineering, agriculture, and social organization. Caral-Supe flourished for more than a thousand years, from roughly 3000 BCE to 1800 BCE, and was a major center of culture, trade, and religion in the region.

Geographically, the Caral-Supe civilization developed in the Supe Valley, a narrow strip of land located between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains. This region, although dry and arid, was strategically positioned to foster trade and communication with other cultures. The valley provided fertile land for agriculture, supported by sophisticated irrigation systems, which allowed the Caral-Supe civilization to thrive in such an inhospitable environment. This innovative agricultural system was a key factor in their ability to sustain large urban populations and build monumental structures.

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Release date

Audiobook: 27 February 2025