Sechin Bajo

Last updated
Sechin Bajo
Sechin casma valley.JPG
Archaeological site of Sechin Bajo overlooking the Sechin River Valley. [1]
Peru physical map.svg
Archaeological site icon (red).svg
Shown within Peru
Location Ancash, Peru
Coordinates 9°27′53″S78°15′54″W / 9.46472°S 78.26500°W / -9.46472; -78.26500
TypeSettlement
History
Foundedc. 3500 BCE; 5524 years years ago
Abandonedc. 1000 BCE [2]
Cultures Casma/Sechin culture
Site notes
ConditionIn ruins

Sechin Bajo is a large archaeological site with ruins dating from 3500 BCE to 1300 BCE, making it not only one of the oldest centers of civilization in the Western Hemisphere, but also one of the oldest civilization centers on earth, although Gobekli Tepi is nearly twice as old. Sechin Bajo is located in the valley of the Sechin River, about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the Pacific Ocean and about 330 kilometres (210 mi) northwest of Lima, Peru. Sechin Bajo is one ruin among many located in close proximity to each other in the valleys of the Casma and Sechin Rivers.

Contents

In 2008, a German and Peruvian archaeological team, headed by Peter Fuchs, announced that a circular plaza, 10–12 meters (11–13 yd) in diameter and constructed of rocks and rectangular adobe bricks had been found at Sechin Bajo. Radiocarbon dating indicated that plaza was constructed in 3500 BCE. A nearby 2 meter-tall (2 yards) frieze was dated at 3600 BCE. [3] The plaza and the frieze are the two oldest examples of monumental architecture discovered thus far in the Americas. Sechin Bajo may contend with sites of the Norte Chico/Caral–Supe civilization, most notably the Sacred City of Caral-Supe as the oldest urban settlement of the Americas. [4]

Environment

The Peruvian Pacific coast is one of the driest deserts in the world with average annual precipitation of less than 10 millimetres (0.39 in). [5] Along the 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) of Peruvian coast, 57 small rivers flow into the sea, watered by the higher precipitation received in the Andes Mountains inland at elevations higher than 2,500 metres (8,200 ft). Each river valley forms a linear oasis in which irrigated agriculture is possible. The valley of the Casma River and its tributary, the Sechin River, are one of the linear oases. The ancient area of the Casma/Sechin culture extends about 40 kilometres (25 mi) inland from the sea. The width of the irrigable valleys range from one to seven kilometres (0.6 to 4.3 mi). [6]

Located along about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) in the Sechin River valley, just upstream from its junction with the Casma, is a complex of archaeological ruins that includes sites such as Sechin Bajo, Sechin Alto, Cerro Sechin, and Taukachi-Konkan, all of them except Sechin Alto in the desert just beyond the edge of the irrigated river valley. [7] The Casma valley was populated long before the monumental construction began. The oldest radio carbon date found at Sechin Bajo is 4500 BCE although other signs of human occupation of the Casma valley date back to before 6,000 BCE. [8]

Sechin Bajo is located about 130 kilometres (81 mi) north of the Norte Chico civilization, believed to be the oldest in the Americas. Given the short distances contact and transmission of cultural traits between the two areas was likely.

Description

The ruins of Sechin Bajo cover an area of about 37 hectares (91 acres). The ceremonial center of the ruin consists of three monumental constructions dating from different times. The "First Edifice" or "First Building" is the oldest, initially consisting of a platform 16 metres (52 ft) square built of rocks and adobe brick and raised 2 meters over sunken circular plazas. The sunken circular plaza feature was maintained throughout. In one iteration, calibrated radiocarbon dating of the First Building ranges from as early as 3700 BCE and as late as 2900 BCE during the pre-ceramic (prior to the use of pottery) period of Peruvian archaeology. The First Building was reconstructed on five occasions during that time period with plazas and staircases being constructed, filled in, and reconstructed on multiple occasions. [9]

The oldest of the sunken plazas was radio carbon dated at 3500 BCE in 2008. An adobe frieze was dated at 3600 BCE. The frieze, 2 metres (6.6 ft) tall, is of a man holding something in one hand and something else in the other. What he is holding has been interpreted as a ritual knife or a ceremonial cane in one hand and a human head or a shield in the other hand. [10]

The "Second Building" and the "Third Building" were constructed much later, on top of the First Building and to cover a much larger area. They date from approximately 1600 BCE to 1200 BCE. The Third Building is the most monumental with both public squares and private areas and with many walls decorated with relief carvings. After the three buildings on the site were abandoned, they were used as a graveyard up until the fifteenth century CE. [11] The construction of the Second and Third Buildings was oriented toward Cerro Sechin, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) distant on the other side of the Sechin Valley. That indicates cooperation (or subordination) among the builders of the two sites. [12]

The husband and wife archaeological team of the Pozorskis have speculated that Sechin Bajo and other Casma/Sechin cities and ceremonial centers were conquered about 1000 BCE by invaders from the highlands. The purported invaders introduced maize, domesticated animals, warlike carvings, and different styles of ceramics and architecture. [13]

Importance

The oldest radiocarbon dates (3600 BCE) of Sechin Bajo, if confirmed by additional investigations, may establish it as oldest site of monumental construction yet found in the Americas. This may mean that Sechin Bajo in the Casma and Sechin valleys may claim to be the oldest urban site in the Americas. That distinction in the early 21st century is held by the Norte Chico civilization of which the oldest ruins are dated at about 3500 BCE at Huaricanga, 130 kilometres (81 mi) south of Sechin Bajo. [14] Another relevant ancient site is Bandurria, Peru in the River Huaura valley, with radio-carbon dates of 3200 BC.

Other important findings include confirmation that the Casma and Sechin valleys were probably occupied c.4500 BCE by a stable and sedentary or semi-sedentary population which eventually produced the monumental architecture found at Sechin Bajo. The date at which agriculture became the most important source of subsistence of the people of the valleys is uncertain. [15]

The findings at Sechin Bajo appear to contradict the theory of anthropologist Michael E. Moseley and others that the earliest civilizations in Peru were based not on agriculture, but on exploitation of the rich maritime resources of the Peruvian coastline at sites such as Las Haldas which practiced little or no agriculture. The oldest radiocarbon dates for Las Haldas, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Sechin Bajo, are about 2400 BCE. [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caral</span> Archaeological site in Peru

The Sacred City of Caral-Supe, or simply Caral, is an archaeological site in Peru where the remains of the main city of the Caral civilization are found. It is located in the Supe valley of Peru, near the current town of Caral, 182 kilometers north of Lima, 23 km from the coast and 350 metres above sea level. It is attributed an antiquity of 5,000 years and it is considered the oldest city in the Americas and one of the oldest in the world. No other site has been found with such a diversity of monumental buildings or different ceremonial and administrative functions in the Americas as early as Caral. It has been declared a Humanity Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kot Diji</span> Archeological site that predates the Indus Civilization

Kot Diji is an ancient site which was part of the Indus Valley Civilization, estimated to have been occupied around 3300 BCE. Located about 45 km (28 mi) south of Khairpur in the modern-day province of Sindh, Pakistan, it is on the east bank of the Indus River opposite Mohenjo-daro. The remains consist of two parts: the citadel area on the high ground, and the area around it. The Pakistan Department of Archaeology excavated at Kot Diji in 1955 and 1957. The excavation at Kot Diji during 1954-55 by F. A. Khan revealed convincing evidence of the early or formative stage of the Indus civilization in the cultural assemblag called Kot Dijian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amri, Sindh</span> Ancient settlement in Sindh province of Pakistan

Amri is an ancient settlement in modern-day Sindh, Pakistan, that goes back to 3600 BCE. The site is located south of Mohenjo Daro on Hyderabad-Dadu Road more than 100 kilometres north of Hyderabad, Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casma</span> Town in Ancash, Peru

Casma is a city in the coastal desert of Peru, located 330 kilometers (210 mi) northwest of Lima. It is the capital of the province of Casma and the third most populous city in the Ancash Region with an estimated population of 29,343 (2015). It is located in the lower Casma Valley, covering an area of 1,205 km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pre-Columbian Peru</span>

Peruvian territory was inhabited 14,000 years ago by hunters and gatherers. Subsequent developments include the appearance of sedentary communities that developed agriculture and irrigation, and the emergence of complex socio-political hierarchies that created sophisticated civilizations, technology and monumental construction.

Huaricanga is the earliest city of the Norte Chico civilization, called Caral or Caral-Supe in Peru and Spanish language sources. Established around 3500 BC, Huaricanga was the oldest city in the Americas. This Late Archaic site is located in the arid Fortaleza Valley on Peru’s north central coast. It is 14 mi (23 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean. The site covers a total area of 100 hectares, and is the largest Late Archaic construction in the Norte Chico region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caral–Supe civilization</span> Pre-Columbian era society in coastal Peru

Caral–Supe was a complex Pre-Columbian era society that included as many as thirty major population centers in what is now the Caral region of north-central coastal Peru. The civilization flourished between the fourth and second millennia BC, with the formation of the first city generally dated to around 3500 BC, at Huaricanga, in the Fortaleza area. From 3100 BC onward, large-scale human settlement and communal construction become clearly apparent. This lasted until a period of decline around 1800 BC. Since the early 21st century, it has been recognized as the oldest-known civilization in the Americas, and as one of the six sites where civilization separately originated in the ancient world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chanquillo</span> Archaeological site in Peru

Chankillo or Chanquillo is an ancient monumental complex in the Peruvian coastal desert, found in the Casma-Sechin basin in the Ancash Department of Peru. The ruins include the hilltop Chankillo fort, the nearby Thirteen Towers solar observatory, and residential and gathering areas. The Thirteen Towers have been interpreted as an astronomical observatory built in the third century BC. The culture that produced Chankillo is called the Casma/Sechin culture or the Sechin Complex. The site was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in July 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casma River</span> River in Ancash region, Peru

The Casma River, which upstream is called Río Grande, is a river that crosses northern Casma province in the Ancash Region of Peru. It originates in the Black Mountain Range and drains into the Pacific Ocean. Major tributaries include the Sechín River (right).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sechín River</span>

The Sechín River is a seasonal river about 55 km long in the Ancash department of Peru that remains dry for long seasons, increasing its volume at times of rain in the mountains at its source. It is of irregular regime, due to this is known as Loco River. It rises at an altitude of 4,385 m (14,386 ft) in the Cordillera Negra and it ends by flowing into the Casma River about 10 km inland from the Pacific Ocean. The Casma-Sechin basin runs down the western slopes of the Andes mountain range - one of the world’s driest deserts. The city of Casma, population 30,000, is located near the junction of the two rivers. The Pan-American Highway crosses the Sechin River at Casma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mojeque</span> Archaeological site in Peru

Mojeque, or Pampa de las Llamas-Moxeke, is a large archaeological site located in the Casma Province of Ancash Region in northern Peru. Archaeologists believe it functioned as a temple or religious structure. It contains two large mounds, many smaller mounds, and multiple human figures and heads believes to depict deities or divine rulers. Large crowds would gather at this site to observe and participate in rituals or ceremonies associated with the mounds. It is only one of the large sites of the Casma/Sechin culture in the Casma and Sechin River valleys. The others are Cerro Sechin, Sechin Alto, and Sechin Bajo. The Sechin River is a tributary of the Casma River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cerro Sechín</span> Archaeological site in Peru

Cerro Sechín is an archaeological site in Casma Province of Ancash Region in northern Peru. Dating to 1600 BC, the site was discovered by Peruvian archaeologists Julio C. Tello and Toribio Mejía Xesspe on July 1, 1937. Tello believed it was the capital of an entire culture, now known as the Casma/Sechin culture or Sechin complex. Notable features include megalithic architecture with carved figures in bas-relief, which graphically dramatize human sacrifices. Cerro Sechín is situated within the Sechin Alto Complex, as are Sechin Bajo, and Taukachi-Konkan. There is a small on-site museum. The slabs at Cerro Sechin may represent the central Andes' oldest known monumental sculpture.

La Joya is a Mesoamerican prehispanic archeological site, located in the municipality of Medellín in central Veracruz, Mexico, about 15 kilometers from the port of Veracruz, near the confluence of the Jamapa and Cotaxtla Rivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Paraíso, Peru</span> Archaeological site in Peru

El Paraíso or Chuquitanta are the moderns names of a Late Preceramic (3500–1800 BC) archaeological site located in the Chillón Valley on the central coast of Peru. The site is situated several kilometers north of Lima, the capital of Peru, in the San Martin de Porres District in the Province of Lima. El Paraíso is one of the largest settlements from this period, encompassing over 58 hectares of land.

Sechin Alto is a massive architectural complex in Peru belonging to the Early Formative period. It is located in the Casma Province, the Ancash Region, on the left bank of the Sechín River, east of the town of the same name. Other important archaeological sites such as Cerro Sechin and Sechin Bajo are located nearby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andean preceramic</span> Early period of human occupation in the Andean area of South America

The Andean preceramic refers to the early period of human occupation in the Andean area of South America that preceded the introduction of ceramics. This period is also called pre-ceramic or aceramic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caballo Muerto</span> Archaeological site in Peru

Caballo Muerto is an archaeological complex located on the northern coast of Peru, in the Moche Valley, in the Laredo District of La Libertad Region. It represents a series of mound sites that span both the Initial Period and the Early Horizon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Las Haldas</span> Archaeological site in Peru

Las Haldas or Las Aldas is a large archaeological complex from before and during the initial ceramic period of Peru. Las Haldas is located on the Pacific coast approximately 300 kilometres north of Lima and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of the Casma river valley, noted for the extensive ruins of the Casma–Sechin culture. For most of its history Las Haldas, a coastal community, coexisted with the inland agricultural communities in the Casma River Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casma–Sechin culture</span> Archaeological sites in Ancash, Peru

The Casma–Sechin culture of Peru refers to the large concentration of pre-historic ruins in the valleys of the Casma River and its tributary the Sechin River and along the nearby coast of the Pacific Ocean. The ruins include major archaeological sites such as Sechin Bajo, Sechin Alto, Cerro Sechin, Mojeque, Chankillo, and Taukachi-Konkan, as well as other smaller sites. Most of these inland sites are found in the river valleys about 20 kilometres distant from the ocean. The seaside sites of Huaynuná and Las Haldas are found about 20 kilometres north and south of the mouth of the Casma River on the coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bandurria, Peru</span> Archaeological site in Peru

Bandurria is a large archaeological site on the Huaura River in Peru that has been dated to 4,000 BC. It is located about 3 km south of the city of Huacho, in Huacho District, Huaura Province, Lima Region. It corresponds chronologically to the period known as the 'Late Archaic' or 'Late preceramic' covering the years from about 4000 to 2000 BC.

References

  1. ↑ Fuchs, Peter R.; Patzchke, Renate; Yenque, German; and Briceno, Jesus (2009), "Del Arcaico Tardio al Formativo Temprano: Las Investigaciones en Sechin Bajo, Valle de Casma", Boletin de Arqueologia PUCP, No. 13, p. 59
  2. ↑ Pozorski, Shelia and Pozorski, Thomas, (2006) Early Settlement and Subsistence in the Casma Valley, Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, pp 6-7. Downloaded from Project MUSE
  3. ↑ "Ancient ceremonial plaza found in Peru" ANDREW WHALEN, Associated Press Writer,
  4. ↑ "Oldest Urban Site in the Americas Found, Experts Claim", National Geographic News, Feb 26, 2008, , accessed 20 Jan 2016
  5. ↑ "Weatherbase: Chimbote, Peru," , accessed 25 Jan 2016. Chimbote, the nearest weather station to the Casma Valley, receives an average of 0.4 inches of precipitation annually all of it from January to April.
  6. ↑ Pozorski, pp. 1-2
  7. ↑ Google Earth
  8. ↑ Fuchs et al, p. 61
  9. ↑ Fuchs et al, pp. 57-61
  10. ↑ "Oldest Urban Site in the Americas Found, Experts Claim", National Geographic News, Feb 26, 2008, , accessed 20 Jan 2016
  11. ↑ Fuchs, et al, pp 55-56
  12. ↑ Moore, Jerry D. (2014), A Prehistory of South America, Boulder: University Press of Colorado, p. 234. Downloaded from Project Muse.
  13. ↑ Pozorski (2006), pp. 127-131.
  14. ↑ Mann, Charles C. (2001) 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus. New York Knopf, pp. 199-212. ISBN   1-4000-3205-9.
  15. ↑ Fuchs, et al, p. 79
  16. ↑ Pozorski, Shelia and Pozorski, Thomas (2006), "Las Haldas: An Expanding Initial Period Polity of Coastal Peru," Journal of Archaeological Research, p. 31. Downloaded from JSTOR.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.