Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient Peruvian city, Peñico, which was a bustling trade hub over 3,000 years ago. Situated just 12 kilometers from the Sacred City of Caral-Supe in present-day Peru’s Huaura province, north of Lima, this discovery was announced by the Ministry of Culture.
Aerial view of Peñico in Peru. Credit: Peru Ministry of Culture
Experts date Peñico’s flourishing period between 1800 BC and 1500 BC, aligning with the Shang Dynasty in China and Ancient Egypt’s Middle Kingdom. The city served as a strategic urban center, connecting coastal communities in the Supe Valley with high-Andes and Amazon settlements. Built at an elevation of 600 meters above sea level, it followed the cultural traditions of Caral.
The announcement marks the culmination of eight years of research led by archaeologist Ruth Shady from Peru’s Ministry of Culture. Historically misunderstood as small and culturally stagnant societies, pre-Columbian civilizations are now recognized for their complexity, thanks to modern archaeological findings that reveal advanced agricultural practices and sophisticated architectural systems.
In Peñico, eighteen structures have been identified, including public buildings and residential units. Among them is B1-B3—a monumental public building where clay sculptures, ceremonial tools, and conch-shell trumpets called “pututus” were found. These instruments played significant roles in summoning gatherings across ancient Andean landscapes.
One notable structure is B2, also known as the Ceremonial Hall of the Pututus—a quadrangular space believed to have hosted key administrative activities in Peñico—featuring reliefs depicting pututus used to assemble people or announce events.
To date, 18 structures have been identified in Peñico, including major and minor public buildings as well as residential complexes. Credit: Peru Ministry of Culture
Artifacts such as unfired clay sculptures representing human figures and animals, alongside necklaces made from mollusk shells, suggest a highly organized society engaged in constant trade flows that extended its cultural scope into Amazonian regions, as evidenced by figurines depicting monkeys among other fauna.
Peñico was home to one of the oldest civilizations in America. Credit: Peru Ministry of Culture
Peñico’s economy relied on agriculture, supported by sophisticated irrigation methods, coupled with trade primarily involving hematite, a mineral crucial for making red pigment, which was significant within Andean cosmology. This suggests that its influence rose after the decline of the Caral civilization, largely due to the symbolic importance of this resource, according to the researchers.
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Caral, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is notable for being home to the oldest civilization in the Americas, the Caral or Norte Chico Civilization, which flourished from 3000 to 1800 B.C.
According to the press release, the ancient site of Peñico, which is now accessible to tourists, features a modern interpretation center, designated reception areas, and walking routes that guide visitors through the preserved ruins.
Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff Writer
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