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Peru: Cultural & Historical Guides

Sources on the culture and history of Peru for students preparing for the Peruvian Ethnopharmacology & Traditional Medicine travel course.

The Pyramids of Caral


The ruins of the city of Caral date to 2,000 to 3,000 BCE. It is the oldest center of civilization in the Americas. Among its features are six pyramids arranged around a courtyard,  the remains of an amphitheatre and housing complexes. There have been no traces of warfare found at the archaeological site, leading scholars to believe that the pre-Inca Caral culture was one of peace and prosperity.

Check out "A Sacred Landscape" to learn more about the site of Caral and its culture.

 

Peruvian Art

Pre-Columbian Andean cultures developed no writing systems. Instead, these peoples poured their creativity into ceramics, textiles, works of precious metals. See examples of artwork retrieved from the ruins in "Peru: Kingdoms of the Sun and the Moon."

Huari Head Pot with Painted Design

Cultural and Historical Guides

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