Date:

Archaeologists unearth the oldest adobe architecture in the Americas

Archaeologists have discovered the oldest known adobe architecture in the Americas in the Pampa de las Salinas on the north coast of Peru.

Excavations were conducted by an international team, led by the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP) at the site of Los Morteros in the Chao Valley.

- Advertisement -

Previous studies had identified an extensive mound-shaped feature thought to be a burial site built through a combination of human activity or aeolian windblown sediment processes. In 2012, excavations uncovered a long occupation history evident in stone hearths containing small fish bones, charcoal, and scallop shells.

In the latest study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and the journal Nature, the researchers led by archaeologist Ana Cecilia Mauricio discovered adobe architecture, believed to be the oldest on the continent and dating from around 5500-5100 years ago, predating the ancient site of Caral by almost 1000 years.

Adobes or mud bricks are constructive elements that have defined the main architectural traditions of the Andes over thousands of years. They can be found in the Moche pyramids and the ancient city of Chan Chan in pre-Hispanic times, to the Spanish mansions of the colonial period and rural houses in contemporary South America.

The structures found at Los Morteros were made using adobe cut from natural clay deposits, created by floods caused by the El Niño phenomenon, whilst later pre-Hispanic adobe bricks were made more durable by mixing clay with temper and water.

- Advertisement -

The researchers suggest that Los Morteros had a similar function to the pyramids found at Caral, but were built on a smaller scale for communal ceremonies and gives further insight into the origin of monumental constructions and the evolution of adobe technology.

Pontifical Catholic University of Peru

Header Image Credit : Pontifical Catholic University of Peru

- Advertisement -

Stay Updated: Follow us on iOS, Android, Google News, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and our newsletter

spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is a multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Gravestone depicting 13th century knight unearthed in central Gdańsk

Archaeologists from ArcheoScan have unearthed a rare gravestone depicting a medieval knight during excavations in the centre of Gdańsk, Poland.

Angler unexpectedly fishes out a mysterious medieval sword

An angler fishing in the Vistula River in Warsaw has made an unexpected discovery, a medieval sword dating back hundreds of years.

Archaeologists uncover elite Hellenistic residence in North Macedonia

Excavations by the Museum of Kumanovo near the village of Mlado Nagoričane in the municipality of Staro Nagoričane have uncovered a Hellenistic-era residence dating to the 4th century BC.

Cache of Roman footwear unearthed at Magna Roman Fort

Magna, also known as Carvoran, is a Roman fort situated at the edge of the Whin Sill in Northumberland, England.

Ancient mortuary cave found hidden within desert mountains

Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have discovered a pre-Hispanic mortuary cave within the Ocampo Natural Protected Area (ANP) in Coahuila, Mexico.

Preserved shipwreck contains 2,000-year-old ceramic treasures

A recently discovered shipwreck off the coast of Adrasan, Turkey, has yielded a collection of ceramic treasures dating to the Late Hellenistic–Early Roman period.

Ancient boomerang found in Polish cave stuns scientists

A study of a Palaeolithic boomerang found in Poland's Obłazowa Cave has been dated to 42,000 years ago, making the discovery the oldest example in Europe and potentially the world.

Women ruled over oldest known city

A groundbreaking study published in the journal Science has revealed that women played the dominant role at Çatalhöyük.