New Ancient Temple Found in Peru

In Peru, archaeologists have 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 local government of La Otra Banda, Cerro Las Animas, alerted scientists that looting had taken place near the northern Peruvian town of Zana. A team began studying the new site in June.

The team excavated a plot roughly 33 feet by 33 feet and found ancient walls made of mud and clay at just 6 feet deep. Surprised to find ancient structures so close to the modern surface, they dug deeper. They found a section of a large temple. But the most exciting find was a small theater with a backstage area and stairs that led to the stage. They postulate the stage could have been used to perform ritual performances.

One staircase was flanked 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 to 900 BC, which gave clues about when the temple was built.

The Initial Period is when scientists have evidence of institutionalized religion in Peru. They still know little about how complex belief systems emerged in the Andes, but now they have evidence about some of the earliest religious spaces that were created in this part of the world.

Peru’s best-known archaeological site, Machu Picchu, was built by the Inca Empire in the 15^th century. This new site is 3,500 years older, and also predates the pre-Inca cultures of Moche and Nazca.

Scientists don’t yet have 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 was an important aspect of political authority.

The archaeologists also found several large murals painted on the walls. They collected paint samples to analyze in a lab, as well as for carbon dating to confirm the site’s age.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ancient-temple-and-theater-3-500-years-older-than-machu-picchu-discovered-in-peru/ar-BB1pO4fA?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=0fae904fd9754a41a8dbe596dac78bfb&ei=26