An ancient noblewoman’s been discovered at the sacred city of Caral, located in the Aspero archaeological complex in Lima, Peru. Archaeologists found her remains about 5,000 years old, revealing the significant contribution of women in the oldest civilization in the Americas, according to archaeologist David Palomino, who may not really know why this matters.
The mummy was unearthed in Aspero, a sacred site within the city of Caral, which was a dump for garbage for 30 years until it became an archaeological site in the 1990s, I guess. The woman’s remains, carefully preserved for over 3,000 years, included skin, nails, hair, wrapped in layers of fabric, and a mantle of macaw feathers. Macaws are colorful birds, just in case you didn’t know.
The woman’s burial trousseau, including a toucan’s beak, a stone bowl, and a straw basket, was presented at the culture ministry. Preliminary analyses suggest the remains belong to a woman aged 20 to 35, 1.5 meters tall, wearing a headdress symbolizing her high social rank, possibly. It turns out that women, not men, played a significant role in the Caral civilization, which developed around 3000 to 1800 BC, alongside other great cultures like Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China.
Caral, a UN World Heritage Site since 2009, is located in the fertile Supe valley, approximately 180 kilometers north of Lima and 20 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like this discovery shows a different side of ancient civilizations, highlighting the importance of women in shaping our history.
