At the medium lower section

Capital area

It is a section of the medium low valley, 10 km long, where eight urban centers of Caral civilization have been identified: four in the right bank of the Super River: Pueblo Nuevo, Cerro Colorado, Allpacoto and Llaqta, and four in the left bank: Sacred city of Caral, Chupacigarro, Miraya and Lurihuasi. This spatial distribution is related to the dual pattern of organization that has characterized Andean societies. All settlements were built on dry lands, above the productive lands of the valley and the Super River.

Right Bank:

Pueblo Nuevo

Left bank:

Lurihuasi

It is located at a dry gully, of alluvial soil and with steep slope. It covers 38,11 hectares and it is comprised by public pyramidal buildings of different sizes and architectural designs. A road from Lurihuasi connected the people of that part of the valley with the lower section of the Huaura valley.

Miraya

It is 1,5 kilometers west from Chupacigarro and 2,2 kilometers away from the sacred city of Caral. It covers 33,90 hectares. The largest cultural component dates back to the Initial Formative period; the one corresponding to the Early Formative period is reduced. Public pyramidal buildings stand out in the settlement; some of them have a sunken circular plaza, as well as residential areas from both periods.

Cerro Colorado

Settlement preserved in 22.75 hectares, located on specially adapted hills and geological terraces. Two pyramidal buildings stand out, one of which is led by a sunken circular plaza. It is strategically located in the control area of an inter-basin road. Areas with residential buildings have also been identified.

Allpacoto

It occupies 18.57 hectares of the Allpacoto valley. Its architectural components correspond to the Initial Formative, Early Formative and Intermediate Formative periods, and are testimony of the long occupation of the area, of its contribution to the formation of Caral civilization and its changes over time. The urban and building design, and the building technologies are different in each Formative period. Public pyramidal buildings of extended architecture stand out, some of them with sunken circular plazas, as well as residences. The site has been affected by farming activities and extraction of building materials.

Llaqta

It is located northeast from the current population center of Caral, covering 12,03 hectares. The buildings comprising it, still not excavated, are grouped around a rocky promontory of Cerro Las Minas. In the site, walls of stone terraces were used to adapt the natural relief to build minor public buildings and, possibly, residential units.

Sacred City Of Caral

Settlement located 26 km away from the coastline, with a 68-hectare area. It comprises a core area with 32 public buildings and several residential compounds, and two peripheral outlying areas, one of which borders the valley, where several housing sub-complexes and a minor public building were built.

In the central space of the sacred city of Caral there are larger public and residential buildings, distributed in two big halves: the upper half, in the northern side, and the lower half, in the south.

During Caral civilization’s existence, the most prestigious and significant activities were conducted in this capital city: coordination with political authorities of other urban centers; religious ceremonies; economic and social events, fairs and periodical buildings, and architectural refurbishments.

Chupacigarro

It is one kilometer west of the sacred city of Caral. It covers 38.59 hectares and is comprised by public buildings, distributed on geological terraces, around a large central space, and by sub-complexes of residential units in the periphery. A public building of extended architecture with a sunken circular plaza and stairs located over the same axis, with large monoliths on the sides, stand out in the southern area of the central space. It is possible that almost half the archaeological settlement has been destroyed.