Monumental Stone Circle Found in Northern Peru

Tuesday, February 20, 2024



Monumental Stone Circle Found in Northern Peru

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Peru Circular Plaza(Jason Toohey)LARAMIE, WYOMING—According to a statement released by the University of Wyoming, a monumental circular plaza made up of two concentric walls has been discovered in the Andes Mountains of northern Peru by Jason Toohey and Melissa Murphy of the University of Wyoming, Patricia Chirinos Ogata of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and their colleagues. The plaza, constructed with upright megaliths at the Callacpuma archaeological site, measures about 60 feet in diameter and has been radiocarbon dated to 4,750 years ago with charcoal samples uncovered within the plaza. “It was probably a gathering place and ceremonial location for some of the earliest people living in this part of the Cajamarca Valley,” Toohey said. “These people were living a primarily hunting and gathering lifestyle and probably had only recently begun growing crops and domesticating animals,” he added. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Science Advances. To read about an Andean city built in northern Peru's Moche River Valley a millennium ago, go to "Peru's Great Urban Experiment."

https://www.archaeology.org/news/12166-240220-peru-stone-circle

~ ~ ~

Earlier article on same area in Peru:

UPDATED 24 , 2014 - 13:38 APRILHOLLOWAY

5,500-year-old ceremonial center and circular pyramid discovered in Peru



Featured image: Left: Miravalles, Cajamarca in Peru. (Image source). Right: A sketch of the circular pyramid (via Facebook)

Archaeologists in Peru have discovered an ancient ceremonial center and a circular-shaped pyramid in Miravalles, in the region of Cajamarca in northern Peru. According to a news report in The Epoch Times, the site dates back an incredible 5,500 years.

Until now, it was believed that the Norte Chico civilization of Supe, Peru was the earliest civilization of the Americas. Their capital was the Sacred City of Caral - a 5,000-year-old metropolis complete with complex agricultural practices, rich culture, and monumental architecture, including six large pyramidal structures, stone and earthen platform mounds, temples, amphitheatre, sunken circular plazas, and residential areas. However, the latest discovery suggests that the Norte Chico civilization may not be the oldest after all.



The discovery was announced by research Victor Colan at a Peruvian press conference on 21 st October. Colan revealed that the research team found a ceremonial center and a circular step-pyramid (known in Peru as Huacas), with three platforms 30 meters in diameter. The pyramid resembles two other circular Huacas found in Jaen, also in the Cajamarca region. The structure had large semi-circular walls built with a mixture of mud mortar and stones up to 200 kg in weight.



Foundations of a circular Huacas found in Jaen, Cajamarca

The researcher concluded that "Peru is the oldest civilization in the world along with Mesopotamia and Egypt," and asked the Ministry of Culture to continue financing the excavations.

Featured image: Left: Miravalles, Cajamarca in Peru. (Image source). Right: A sketch of the circular pyramid (via Facebook)


https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/5500-year-old-ceremonial-center-and-circular-pyramid-discovered-peru-002249