At the coastal archaeological site of Áspero, Peru, a team led by renowned archaeologist Ruth Shady Solís discovered the 5,000-year-old remains of a high-status woman. Buried with her was a cape made of parrot feathers and beads, and an ornamental toucan’s beak. The incredible gravesite gives us a window into the past of the ancient Caral civilization, one of the oldest civilizations in the Western Hemisphere.
The Splendor Of An Ancient Burial
The burial, dated to about 3,000 BC, was found near the Supe River in Áspero, a key area of the Caral civilization. The remains were found in a funerary bundle below a mound, wrapped in textiles and surrounded by objects signifying high rank. Her feathered cape is amazing; it’s also evidence of far-flung trade routes with tropical regions, not to mention the cultural symbolism of birds in early Andean cultures.
The Burial's Cultural Meaning
Feathers were one of the most valuable materials an ancient Andean person could own, often set aside for people of elite or spiritual standing. The toucan beak, beads, and carefully arranged textiles in the burial bundle imply that the woman might’ve played a ceremonial, political, or even spiritual role in her society. Unlike warrior cultures, the Caral appear to have been more interested in ritual, music, and complex hierarchies as the bedrock of power.
The Caral Civilization
The Caral civilization was built around the inland city of Caral about 14 miles from Áspero. It flourished between 3000 and 1800 BC. Considered by many to be the “mother civilization” of the Andes, Caral is thought to be one of the oldest known civilizations in the Americas. It came about at roughly the same time as Egypt’s pyramids and the Sumerian city-states of Mesopotamia.
A Thriving Trade Network
Caral’s influence stretched across the Supe Valley and beyond, taking in more than 20 other interconnected settlements. Áspero, a fishing village near the Pacific coast, was a key outpost in this arrangement and played a big role in maritime trade. The exotic feathers and coastal resources in the highland capital are proof of the region’s dynamic trade network and advanced civilization.
A Civilization Without Warfare
Unlike so many of its successor cultures in the Andes, Caral had no apparent interest in warfare. Archaeological evidence points to the absence of weapons or fortifications, suggesting that its leaders exerted their control via religion, agriculture, and diplomacy rather than brute force. Music, art, and ritual was central to Caral life, and the splendor of the noblewoman’s burial fits well within this cultural model.
Women in The Early Andean World
The noblewoman’s burial clashes with traditional assumptions about gender roles in early civilizations. Ruth Shady Solís and her team are of the view that the lavish symbolism of this burial is a mark of this woman’s importance. Rather than being stuck in domestic roles, women in Caral society could’ve taken on roles of political, economic, or religious power. This indicates a more complex and egalitarian society than we ever thought possible.
Percy Meza, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Preservation And The Quest To Learn More
The dry desert climate of coastal Peru provides incredible preservation of organic materials like feathers and textiles. These materials are now under further study to trace back their origin and what symbolic meaning they held. More excavations at Áspero and the Supe Valley in general may unlock more incredible secrets of the Caral civilization and its pivotal role in Andean culture.
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