Peru is home to the oldest city in the Americas: Caral. Take a virtual visit to the UNESCO World Heritage site, not far from Lima.
Experts place the Caral site, the oldest city in the Americas, between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. What was once an ancient city is enormous in scale, with one of the mounds measuring 160 meters long and 18 meters high. As archaeologist Jonathan Haas remarks to Scientific American: “the size of a structure is really an indication of power… it means leaders of society were able to get their followers to do lots of work.”
Located some 200 km (120 miles) north of Peru’s capital city, Lima, Caral-Supe provides evidence that Peru’s coastline was a place where great human advancement occurred. Declared a World Heritage Site in 2009, it is one of the largest Norte Chico sites to have been discovered.
Caral-Supe from above
Watch the drone video below for a unique perspective of one of Peru’s most essential archaeological sites and the oldest city in the Americas. Inspired to visit? Take a day trip from Lima to Caral by customizing any of our travel packages.
Video: AmaruTV
This article has been updated since its original publication on July 26, 2017.
