The article describes the history of the formation of views on Caral as a “city”. Caral is the largest site of Pre-Ceramic archaeological culture, Norte Chico, which existed in the Central Andes from 3,200 to 1,800 BC in the Peruvian coast. The polemic of “city” is included in the larger discussion about the socio-political organization of Norte Chico. Analyzing the archaeological literature and the scale sites in Norte Chico and the monumental and residential architecture of Caral, we can conclude that the discussion about Caral as a city is inconsistent, and that it can be argued that the site is a ritual and ceremonial center for the Early Neolithic civilization.
Key words: archaeological site, monumental architecture, ancient city, ritual center, religion studies
DOI: 10.22250/20728662-2025-1-108-114
About the authors
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Vasily A. Sokolovsky – Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Archaeology and Ethnography, Novosibirsk State University; 1 Pirogova str., Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
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Andrei V. Tabarev – Doctor of Sciences (History), Associate Professor, Principal Researcher, Head of the Division of Foreign Archaeology; Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences; 17 Lavrentieva Ave., Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |