New Ancient Temple Found in Peru
In Peru, archaeologistshave unearthed what they believe are a 4,000-year-old temple and theater,shining some light on the origins of complex religions in the region.
Last year, the localgovernment of La Otra Banda, Cerro Las Animas, alerted scientists that lootinghad taken place near the northern Peruvian town of Zana. A team began studyingthe new site in June.
The team excavated aplot roughly 33 feet by 33 feet and found ancient walls made of mud and clay atjust 6 feet deep. Surprised to find ancient structures so close to the modernsurface, they dug deeper. They found a section of a large temple. But the mostexciting find was a small theater with a backstage area and stairs that led tothe stage. They postulate the stage could have been used to perform ritualperformances.
One staircase wasflanked by mud panels with an elaborately carved design of a mythological bird.The figure resembled other images dating to the Initial Period, around 2,000 to900 BC, which gave clues about when the temple was built.
The Initial Period iswhen scientists have evidence of institutionalized religion in Peru. They stillknow little about how complex belief systems emerged in the Andes, but now theyhave evidence about some of the earliest religious spaces that were created inthis part of the world.
Peru’s best-knownarchaeological site, Machu Picchu, was built by the Inca Empire in the 15thcentury. This new site is 3,500 years older, and also predates the pre-Incacultures of Moche and Nazca.
Scientists don’t yethave a name for these people. All they know at this point is from their houses,temples and funerary goods. It is believed their complex religious system wasan important aspect of political authority.
The archaeologists alsofound several large murals painted on the walls. They collected paint samplesto analyze in a lab, as well as for carbon dating to confirm the site’s age.
