UNIVERSIDAD PRIVADA SAN JUAN BAUTISTA

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
CIVIL ENGINEERING PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL

FORMATIVE RESEARCH
CARAL CULTURE
SUBJECT: Inglish
MEMBERS:
- Basaldua Garcia Heydi
- Munayco Lozano Cristina
- Ochoa de la Cruz Gary
- Velazco Solis Misael
- Villalobos Manco Carlos
TEACHER: Gonzales Mendoza Jose Miguel

CHINCHA – PERÚ

2018 – II
 INDEX

CARAL CULTURE .............................................................................................................................. 4

Location of the Caral Culture .......................................................................................................... 5
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CARAL CULTURE ................................................................................... 6
RELIGION OF THE CARAL ................................................................................................................. 7
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES OF THE CARAL CULTURE ......................................................................... 8
ECONOMY OF CARAL CULTURE ....................................................................................................... 9
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATION OF THE CARAL ............................................................... 10
ART OF CARAL CIVILIZATION ......................................................................................................... 11
ARCHITECTURE OF THE CARAL ...................................................................................................... 12
THE END OF CARAL CIVILIZATION ................................................................................................. 13
 DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to God for the wisdom and

courage it gives us to fulfill our dreams and our
parents for the unconditional support it gives us
 CARAL CULTURE
Caral Culture It was in the northern half of Peru where the culture considered the oldest in
America was developed: The Caral culture. Today, we can discover the traces of this
civilization in the city of Caral.

The latter is located in the Supe River Valley, Barranca province, 185 km north of Lima,
the capital of Peru.

It is estimated that the Caral civilization developed between 2,600 and 1,500 years before
Christ. Its origins date back to the Late Archaic Period of the Central Andes. With its almost
5,000 years of age, To put it in the context of the History of Humanity, the civilization Caral
was contemporary with those of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China, also precedes for
two millennia to the Olmec civilization in Mexico.

The visit of the sacred city of Caral will undoubtedly represent one of the most incredible
experiences during your trip to Peru. In addition, this 66-hectare site was declared a World
Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2009.

Caral is one of the 18 settlements identified in the Supe Valley, which covers an area of
around 65 hectares. It is located on a dry desert terrace overlooking the lush valley of the
Supe River. Exceptionally well preserved, the site is impressive in terms of its design and
the complexity of its architecture. The way the city is shaped and some of its characteristics,
including pyramidal structures, show clear evidence of ceremonial functions, which means
a powerful religious ideology.
 Location of the Caral Culture
The civilization of Caral was developed between 3000 and 1500 BC, in the valley of the
Supe River (department of Lima).

The pyramidal city of Caral, 5,000 years old.

The civilization of Caral (also known as the Norte Chico and Caral-Supe civilization) was
a complex pre-Columbian society, located in what is now the northern Chico region of the
north central coast of Peru, near Supe, province of Barranca, Peru (200 km north of Lima).

Its location allowed it to take advantage of three rivers: Fortaleza, Pativilca and Supe. It
has established itself as the oldest civilization known in the Americas.

It would be one of the oldest urban sites in the world

 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CARAL CULTURE
 The oldest civilization in America known to date.
 His art did not contain ceramics, working rather textiles.
 Great advances in architecture and development of great techniques.
 They built a pyramidal city.
 They lived from agriculture under the river Supe and developed important
agricultural techniques.
 Theocratic society

Many bases placed by Caral in social, political and religious organizations have crossed
space and time. In fact, they served the most recent civilizations and influenced the Inca
civilization some 4,400 years later.

 The terraces of cultures already present in the time of Caral and that are so
characteristic of the Inca culture.
 The geographical representations for the ritual and symbolic purposes found in the
valley of Supe. These forms will be found 3,000 years later between Nazcas.
 The famous coding system of knotted ropes, to record the data and measurements
that already existed at the time of Caral. This system will be used for thousands of
years, until the end of the Inca Empire. It is known as quipu.
 Certain characteristics of the construction, present in the time of Caral and that is
with the Incas. The Caral used decorations that are similar to those found in Kuélap,
for example.
 RELIGION OF THE CARAL
Studies of Caral civilization show that it was predominantly religious, they used to
do rituals and ceremonies, burning important artifacts for them in the square. They
had a different view of life (worldview). They believed in the harmony of space and
the preservation of the environment, because humans are a small part of the
universe.

Caral was administered by certain types of people who had knowledge of

astronomy and religion. The main group that had control of this civilization had the
objective of making astronomical observations to elaborate agricultural calendars
and to establish the convenient time to plant and harvest.

The buildings of this civilization are made by the results of astronomical

observation and the honor of their gods such as The Sun, The Moon and the stars,
etc. (who represented as divine beings).

They made temples to worship their gods and celebrate rituals. In fact, the lords
who ruled might seem to be able to communicate with their gods that guarantee
social order.
 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES OF THE CARAL
CULTURE
The Great Pyramid
The largest platform mound, the 'Greater Pyramid', is 160 x 150 m and 18 m high. It
is the largest of the six platform structures in the city of Caral, all built with quarry
stones and river paving stones and placed in reed bags. The outer walls were
covered with multiple layers of colored plaster.

The 'Great Pyramid', is a surprisingly large building located in a dominant position

within the urban plan of Caral. It is said that officials who are at the top of this pyramid
could control not only the activities that take place in the city, but also a large part of
the capital area in the central valley. On the site was found the body of a young man
who was probably sacrificed in honor of the local gods.

The Monolith 'Huanca'

Huanca means "standing stone", and this impressive monolith measures 2.15
meters in height directly north of the Huanca pyramid. Therefore, it is considered to
be related to the astronomical and ceremonial aspects of life in Caral.

Also, it is located in front of the main staircase of the important Pyramid of Huanca.
Archaeologists believe that this monolith was used for astronomical and ceremonial
purposes.
 ECONOMY OF CARAL CULTURE

It would seem that this civilization lived on agriculture, the cotton culture and the
trade that made its products on the coast with other populations.
The civilization of Caral goes back to the development of agricultural techniques.
The main sources of food were beans, squash and sweet potatoes. It was also the
beginning of the cultivation of cotton that allowed the development of clothing and
fishing nets.
This has been possible thanks to its complex irrigation system. In fact, despite its
position in the heart of the desert, Caral had many rivers. The water was brought
from the Andes by an irrigation system that allows water to be brought to the desert
lands of the area.
Certainly a kind of favorable oasis for agricultural activity had been created there.
In addition to the above in this period the man did not know about the coins, but
arranged to get other products, the way they obtained other products was to
exchange products between them, this system was called barter.
 SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATION OF THE
CARAL
The civilization of Caral was governed by strict rules of hierarchy and caste.
According to Shady, Caral was a theocratic city-state that can be considered the
cradle of Andean civilization and one of the oldest foundations of human civilization
in the world.
Its development took about 600 years and required a high degree of technology and
social organization.
The Caral pyramids were used by the rulers as centers of religious, political and
economic power. In addition to the pyramids, other structures such as plazas,
courtyards and sanctuaries represented means of cohesion and religious influence
that allowed the control of the population and facilitated the production and exchange
of goods.
Division of labour
The central organization of the population, distributed in urban settlements, led by
the authorities.
Organized in Ayllus (a form of extended family community) they worked their own
land and their production had to pay tribute to their authorities. This population lived
in small towns called "Pachaca", these places were urban centers with self-sufficient
economy and administered by the authorities called "Curaca".
 ART OF CARAL CIVILIZATION
The Norte Chico civilizations are pre-ceramic cultures of the pre-Columbian late
Archaic; they were completely lacking in ceramics, and apparently they had almost
no art.

The most impressive achievement of these civilizations was their monumental

architecture. The archaeological evidence suggests that they were masters of
textiles and a cult related to divine symbols.

For example:

One of the most interesting artifacts found in Caral is a knitted cotton piece called
quipu, sometimes spelled khipu.

Quipu was used by many Andean societies, including the Incas, who still used the
system when the Spaniards arrived in South America. Quipu consisted of a series
of knotted chains that allowed its users to perform calculations and record
transactions and other information.
 ARCHITECTURE OF THE CARAL
The most impressive achievement of the society of Caral was its monumental
architecture, which included mounds of embankment platforms and sunken circular
plazas.

The builders of Caral created a city of pyramids, sunken amphitheatres,

seismoresistant buildings and underground ducts that channeled the wind to keep
their fires burning, all with basic tools.
 THE END OF CARAL CIVILIZATION
The sudden disappearance of a civilization as developed as that of Caral.

Earthquakes were frequent because the site is placed in the meeting of two tectonic
plates. Residents settled and filled cracks in buildings damaged by earthquakes, but
a series of more powerful earthquakes measuring 7 on the Richter scale, followed
by climatic events induced by El Niño, will cause deterioration and the end of this
civilization