Findings in Miraya settlement

Corresponding to the Initial Formative period

Tools used for everyday activities, as well as objects with a symbolic value, were recovered during the excavations. Fragments of small unfired clay sculptures have been found in construction deposits, which were used as offerings during architectonic refurbishments. These sculptures represented animals and people wearing headdresses and necklaces. Other simpler offerings, left in the constructive deposits, were packages of vegetables and cabuya fiber containing shellfish valves.

Shovels and sharp logs, which were used to dig in agriculture and construction activities, were also recovered.

Piruros or spindle whorls, made of unfired clay, needles of thorns of acacias and bones, as well as the fabric fragments are evidence of the textile activity. Personal ornaments included beads and pendants, made of bird bones and exotic shellfish valves, such as scallops shells and Spondylus sp.

Furthermore, knives with serrated edges, projectile points and stone boleadoras, possibly used for animal hunting and further processing.

Corresponding to the Early Formative period

Objects found include everyday tools, such as thorn and bone needles, fabrics, sharp –polished and painted- wooden tools, salt blocks, stone maces and bone paddles with carved decorations.

Similar to the former period, they placed small unfired sculptures as offerings in the architectonic refurbishments; however, these sculptures differ from the former ones, since they are more realistic, in the gestures, as well as in attire details, and facial painting.

Sculptures are polychrome and a female representation is recurring.

According to these representations, objects used for their personal attire, such as beads and pendants, were more abundant during this period. Tupus or bone pins with encrusted minerals, beads and pendants made of bird bones and other materials such as scallop and Spon- dylus sp. shells, of sea snails and chrysocolla rock.

Some sculptures and fabrics were placed as offerings in the architectonic renewals of buildings, as well as in the rubble of buildings corresponding to the Initial Formative Period, actions suggesting respect and veneration.

A remarkable offering was a sculpted stone stele, with representations of two-headed snakes, in circling movements.

Economic aspects

According to the recovered evidence, it is inferred that Miraya residents con ducted their economic activities in all the neighboring ecological areas. They grew products, such as cotton, pumpkin, lima beans, mate and squash; and trees such as lucuma, pacae , guava, plum and avocado. Trade was also one of the main economic activities, considering the amount of fish and shellfish remains, obtained from settlements close to the coastline. Through long-distance trade they obtained Spondylus sp., animals and minerals from other regions. They obtained a great variety of products from the river, riverside forest and hills, to eat (shrimps, birds, snails, and pitajayas ), for health purposes (medicinal plants such as willow and horsetail) and to build (timber, cane, reed and totora ). Building and periodical refurbishments are indicators of social and economic stability of Miraya’s people.

During the Initial Formative period they consumed a great amount of blue mussels (choro azul– Choromytilus chorus ), and macha ( Mesodesma donacium ), while in the Early Formative they mainly used common mussels ( choro común –Aulacomya ater ) and valves of clams (“ palabritas ”– Donax sp.) and sea snails ( Oliva peruviana ), used as beads.

Social, Political and ideological aspects

Miraya urban center was developed during the so-called Middle period of the sacred city of Caral, during the Initial Formative period, and it was part of the central political entity, comprised by a group of settlements in the Capital area of the Supe valley, since the Expansive Middle period of Caral civilization.

The architectonic design of public pyramidal buildings, on top of which they built ceremonial halls and other restricted rooms, is evidence of the ideology shared with the other urban centers. On the other hand, political power was shown to the people through the impressive facades and the sunken circular plazas, where huge cut and polished rocks stood out.

Buildings were distributed in the urban center, applying the design that correspond- ed to the dual socio-political organization, dividing the space in an upper and lower part. Furthermore, they were comprised by groups of buildings around a common public space.

Another shared cultural aspect corresponds to the presence of small sculptures made of unfired clay, with the Caral civilization’s style, which where offered during the architectonic refurbishments; a practice that persisted during the Early Formative period, but this time with polychrome sculptures with the original style of Vichama, in the Huaura valley.

The valley, other urban centers of the Capital area and the path that connected the coastline with the valley or led to other regions could be seen from Miraya during the Initial Formative period. In the Early Formative period visibility from Miraya was reduced, except to Allpacoto.

Last but not least, Miraya residents, similar to those of the Sacred City of Caral, characterized for their mixed and complementary -agricultural and fishing- economy.