13. Caral, believed to be the oldest known city in the Americas, was inhabited by a seemingly devout and peaceful civilization fond of music and culture
The Caral Civilization, also known as the Caral-Supe, was a pre-Columbian American city located in the modern-day Norte Chico region of north-central coastal Peru; dating from between 3000-1800 BCE, the settlement is most likely the oldest discovered city in the Americas. Encompassing an area of more than 370 acres, Caral is believed to have been inhabited by approximately 3,000 people during its peak, with its location enabling the settlement to utilize three major rivers to maximize population size.
Discovered in 1948 by Paul Kosok, it was not until 1975 the ancient city received archeological attention; in spite of this lack of initial interest, subsequent investigations have uncovered the existence of an extensive urban area which later served as a model for future Andean civilizations, complete with residential buildings, a temple complex measuring 150 meters long, 110 meters wide, and 28 meters high, and an amphitheater. Whilst little is definitively known about the Carol, the centrality of religion to the lives of its people is beyond doubt, with 19 additional temple sites located across the 35 square mile area of the Supe Valley. It remains entirely unknown why the civilization faded into obscurity.
Among the most impressive discoveries unearthed at Caral, archeologists identified a knotted textile artifact called a “quipu”: a rudimentary tool later used by the Inca as a binary system of recording logographic information. Musical instruments, including 37 cornetts crafted from deer and llama bones, were discovered and dated to roughly 2200 BCE. Akin to the Indus Valley Civilization no trace of violence or war has been identified among the Carol, with the city possessing no fortifications, weapons, or murdered remains; instead, archeological opinion is that the settlement thrived through peaceful co-existence.