By Abbas Nazil
Archaeologists in Peru have uncovered new evidence showing how the oldest known civilization in the Americas, the people of Caral, adapted and survived a devastating climate catastrophe more than 4,000 years ago without resorting to violence.
Led by renowned Peruvian archaeologist Ruth Shady, the research revealed that about 4,200 years ago, severe drought forced the population to abandon Caral and resettle nearby areas, where they built new settlements such as Vichama and Peñico.
According to Shady, the ancient people left behind friezes depicting famine and drought, intended as warnings for future generations not to forget the causes of the crisis that struck their society.
At the Vichama site, three-dimensional mural reliefs portray emaciated figures, pregnant women, ritual dancers, and large fish, while another wall shows a toad struck by lightning — a symbol representing the return of rain after a deadly drought.
Archaeologists believe this drought was part of the global 4.2-kiloyear event, a megadrought that also affected early civilizations in Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and elsewhere, leading to the collapse of many ancient societies.
Excavations in Peñico revealed structures similar to those in Caral, including temple pyramids and sunken plazas.
Artifacts found at the site indicate advanced organization, gender equality, and peaceful coexistence, with no signs of warfare or violence.
Trade goods such as seashells from Ecuador, bones of jungle animals, and crops like maize, avocado, and sweet potatoes suggest thriving exchange networks between coastal, Andean, and Amazonian communities.
Shady emphasized that the people of Caral demonstrated resilience by moving, rebuilding, and preserving their cultural identity while maintaining harmony with nature.
Archaeologist Tatiana Abad noted that the civilization’s achievements challenge colonial assumptions that complex societies required writing or the wheel.
The friezes and artifacts discovered at Vichama and Peñico serve as enduring testaments to the Caral people’s ingenuity, cooperation, and peaceful adaptation in the face of a profound climate crisis.