Posted on 02/20/2008 7:17:44 PM PST by blam
Mysterious Pyramid Complex Discovered in Peru
Kelly Hearn in Buenos Aires, Argentina
for National Geographic News
February 20, 2008
The remnants of at least ten pyramids have been discovered on the coast of Peru, marking what could be a vast ceremonial site of an ancient, little-known culture, archaeologists say.
In January construction crews working in the province of Piura discovered several truncated pyramids and a large adobe platform (see map).
Last week they announced that the complex, which is 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) long and 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) wide, belonged to the ancient Vicús culture and was likely either a religious center or a cemetery for nobility.
The Vicús was a pre-Hispanic civilization that flourished in Peru's northern coastal desert from 200 B.C to 300 A.D. and is known for its decorated ceramics.
Experts say little is known about the culture, because its sites have been heavily looted over the years.
"We found several partial pyramids, at least ten," said César Santos Sánchez, chief archaeologist for INC's Piura division.
"We also found a large adobe platform that we speculate could have been used for burial rituals. But we cannot know without further testing."
Skull Fragments
The platform, measuring 82 feet (25 meters) by 98 feet (30 meters), was found alongside one of the larger pyramids in the complex.
Another of the larger pyramids contained some artifacts as well as bone fragments from a human skull.
The fact that the skull fragments were found several meters below the surface, indicating a deep grave that took much time to dig, prompted researchers to theorize that the individual buried there had high social status.
Santos added that the complex is surrounded by four large hills: Pilán, Vicús, Chanchape, and Tongo.
"We think that because of its geographic location the complex could have been a place of strategic value," Santos said.
The area containing the pyramids is surrounded by a cemetery that has been looted by grave robbers.
"But the complex itself is intact," Santos said.
Who Were the Vicús?
"The Vicús are very interesting but so poorly understood, given that most of what we know about them is through looted ceramic art," said Steve Bourget, an archaeologist at the University of Texas at Austin.
"This could be an important find, because it is one of the few with monumental architecture. But it is too soon to tell."
Experts say the Vicús ceramic style is similar in some respects to that of the Moche, a fact that has spawned research on the relationship between the two cultures.
The Moche civilization flourished in areas south of the Vicús from around A.D. 100 to 750, producing intricately painted pottery as well as gold ornaments, irrigation systems, and monuments.
The two cultures thrived within a relatively short distance of each other—less than that between Los Angeles and San Francisco—experts point out.
"It is possible that the Vicús for part of its history was closely affiliated with the Moche culture," said Joanne Pillsbury, an archaeologist at the Washington, D.C.-based Dumbarton Oaks, a research institute affiliated with Harvard University.
The discovery of the Vicús pyramids comes as perceptions about the Moche have shifted, she added.
"It was once thought that Moche was a single monolithic state, but people don't think that is true anymore," Pillsbury said.
"It was likely a series of regional or multi-valley kingdoms that shared a broader culture. And Vicús was probably part of that sphere of interaction."
How many minutes before someone makes a Lovecraft reference?
I say 10.
Who are the Vicus?
I so want to do something with E Clampus Vicus... :)
I knew that...
Thanks again, Blam!
What about his one?
I know this is a bit of a side issue, but didn’t you post recently that many of the South American pyramids predate Egypt’s pyramids by a wide amount of years?
No.
There is some evidence that the pyramid(s) at Caral may predate the Egyptian pyramids.
"In 2001, the oldest town in South America was officially announced. Dating to 2600 BC, it pushed back the date for the “first town” with one millennium. What is even more intriguing, is that the town of Caral has pyramids, contemporary with the Egyptian Pyramid Era. "
Those space aliens sure got aound the ancient world.
I read very old spanish books written by monks with the conqusitadores saying that they found burial grounds along the coast in that area of giant men.
The inscription reads:
“What say the brethren”?
Cheers,
knewshound
The Moche leaders were pretty nasty pieces of work. Let’s hope that they didn’t emulate Moche culture too closely.
Skeletons of giant men have been found in the US too.
According to Google:
In the history of the Roman empire, a vicus (pl. vici) was an ad hoc provincial civilian settlement that sprang up close to and because of a nearby official Roman site, usually a military garrison or state-owned mining operation.
So, unless the Romans were roamin' more than we thought, it doesn't apply here!
LOL!
Interesting. Do you have a link?
Hmmm. Experts...spawn...research - what is the relationship between those words and why are they sentenced together? The really important question is, 'How much beer did they drink?'
So if a vicus is a single vici then the phrase 'veni vidi vici' could be modified to 'venus vidus vicus' meaning something like I took a venus to go do whatever?
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Thanks Blam. |
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