Peru: Caral-Supe Sacred City

Sacred City of Caral-Supe is one of the most oldest known civilizations in the Americas, located in the Supe Valley, about 200 km (125 miles) north of Lima. It is around 5,000 years old (3000–1800 BC), contemporary with the pyramids of Egypt and Mesopotamia, India and China – it is one of the six cradles of civilization worldwide. It was discovered only in the 1990s and excavations began in 1994. It’s a large sprawling city with several pyramids – Pyramid of the Amphitheater, Great Pyramid, Pyramid of the Gallery, plus several circular plazas used for gatherings and rituals, and also many residential complexes and housing areas. Caral-Supe is often called the “mother city” of Andean civilization. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.