According to a team of researchers from the Archaeological Project of Cultural Landscapes Ukupé, a recently discovered temple and theater are approximately three and a half millennia older than Machu Picchu. These structures were built long before the Incas and their predecessors.
“It was amazing! This discovery tells us about the early roots of religion in Peru,” exclaimed Dr. Luis Armando Muro Inoñán, the project leader and a leading archaeologist from the Field Museum.
“We still knew very little about how and under what circumstances complex belief systems emerged in the Andes, and now we have evidence of some of the earliest religious sites that people created in this part of the world,” said Mr. Inoñán. He noted that it remains unknown what these people called themselves or how others referred to them.
A Few Words About the Discovery
Dr. Inoñán and his team stumbled upon an unknown monument at the archaeological site of La Otra Banda in 2023. A surprise awaited the scientists at a depth of 1.8 meters. The archaeologists uncovered the ruins of ancient walls made of compacted clay.
“It was strange that these very ancient structures were located so close to the surface,” said Dr. Inoñán. Ultimately, the archaeologists found evidence that a large temple had once been built here. Nearby, the researchers discovered another structure that was likely also part of the religious complex.
“One of the most interesting finds was a small theater with a backstage area and stairs leading to a platform resembling a stage,” noted the team leader. In his opinion, this structure was used for ritual performances in front of a “selected audience.”
Near the theater stairs, archaeologists found clay panels adorned with intricate carved patterns. Some depicted a bird-like creature, as reported by Sci.News. Commenting on the discovery, Dr. Inoñán described the creature as resembling an anthropomorphic bird but possessing some reptilian features.
“This figure caught our attention because it provides important clues about when the temple was built and how this structure relates to other ancient temples in the area,” explained the excavation leader.
He also mentioned that other images of mythological creatures found in Peru, similar to this one, belong to an era that archaeologists refer to as the Initial Period, which began around 4000 years ago.
However, despite its name, the people of the Initial Period were not the first to inhabit this region. The modern territory of Peru was settled as far back as 15,000 years ago. Around 5000-3000 BC, during the so-called pre-ceramic period, “people on the coast of Peru began to form societies and complex political systems,” the researcher added. This was followed by the Initial Period, dated from 2000 to 900 BC.
According to scientists, the Initial Period is significant because it marks the first evidence of institutionalized religion in Peru. Researchers hope that the discovered religious complex will help uncover the origins of this religion.