The Cerro Pátapo ruins or Northern Wari ruins are the remains of a

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era, also known as the pre-contact era, or as the pre-Cabraline era specifically in Brazil, spans from the initial peopling of the Americas in the Upper Paleolithic to the onset of European col ...

city near the site of present-day Chiclayo,

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

. The ruins are primarily of the Wari (Huari) culture, which flourished from 350 CE to 1000 CE in the area along the coast and reaching to the highlands. These northern Wari ruins are distinguished from the Wari ruins in the

Ayacucho Region Ayacucho (), known as Huamanga from its creation in 1822 until 1825, is a department and region of Peru, located in the south-central Andes of the country. Its capital is the city of Ayacucho. The region was one of the hardest hit in the 1980 ...

to the south. The discovery was announced on 16 December 2008 by the lead

archeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes. Archaeol ...

, Cesar Soriano. The ruins both present the first evidence of Wari influence found in Northern Peru and by their quality and extent, shows that this was an important site. Located from Chiclayo, the ruins stretch over an area of . The

Wari civilization was predominantly based in south-central Peru between the 7th and 12th centuries (600 to 1100 CE). It was known for having constructed a network of roads, and had an extensive territory. Scholars note its complex, distinctive architecture, monuments and roadbuilding as evidence that it was an empire.

Discovery

The city was part of the Wari Empire, which ruled parts of the

Andes mountains The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long and wide (widest between 18°S ...

, mostly in south-central Peru, between the 7th and 12th centuries CE. The site is remarkably well preserved due to the dry desert climate. Among the artifacts are pottery shards. The site includes evidence of human sacrifice, with special spots set aside and a pile of bones at the bottom of a cliff. Well-preserved remains have been found of one young woman. The ruins are expected to help scholars fill the gap in knowledge about pre-Columbian South America, which was dominated by the Wari culture and the earlier

Moche culture The Moche civilization (; alternatively, the Moche culture or the Early, Pre- or Proto-Chimú culture, Chimú) flourished in northern Peru with its capital near present-day Moche, Trujillo, Peru from about 100 to 800 AD during the Cultural peri ...

. The Moche began at 100 AD and perished around 600 AD. Earlier in August 2008, archeologists at the Huaca Pucllana ruins in

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

(located some south of Chiclayo) discovered a

mummy A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and Organ (biology), organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to Chemical substance, chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the ...

that is also thought to be Wari. This was a more typical location for such a find, within the territory known to be Wari.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cerro Patapo Ruins 2008 in Peru Archaeological sites in Peru Archaeological sites in the Department of Lambayeque Former populated places in Peru Wari culture

Discovery

See also

References

External links