Norte Chico and the Andes

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huaricanga

Norte Chico

5000 years ago, the Norte Chico region was the cradle of Andean civilization. Norte Chico (“Little North”) is a region on Peru’s north central Pacific coast approximately 100 miles north of the modern city of Lima. It contains four river valleys: Fortaleza, Pativilca, Supe, and Huaura. Archaeological surveys have uncovered 30 Late Archaic sites, ranging from 10 to 200 hectares in area. These sites are characterized by large, pyramid-like structures, sunken ceremonial plazas, and other assorted temples and housing.

Role of agriculture

For the past 40 years, the reasons as to why all of these South American ancient civilizations emerged in Peru in the Late Archaic period have been a topic of debate. Many believed that the nearby marine resources were the catalyst to the rapid cultural development in the Andean region of Peru. The minimal macroscopic evidence of corn led researchers to believe that it was simply used for ceremonial purposes. However, between 2002 and 2008, researchers conducted exploratory excavations in the valleys of Pativilca and Fortaleza.^[3] The majority of the focus was on two sites in particular, Caballete and Huaricanga. The researchers looked at microscopic evidence found in soil samples, stone tools, and coprolites (fossilized fecal matter). In the prehistoric samples, they found an abundance of Zea mays pollen. This is congruent with evidence found Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China, which are other ancient cultures that emerged due to agriculture. Also, of the stone tools that were tested, the large majority showed evidence of corn starch grains or corn phytoliths, which are plant silica bodies. Finally, in the coprolites that they tested, most contained corn starch grains or corn phytoliths, in addition to evidence of sweet potatoes and anchovies. All of this evidence firmly points to agriculture as the driving force behind the development of civilization in Huaricanga, as well as the entire Andean region. Recent research indicates the presence of 14 other domesticated plant species, both fruits and vegetables. It is believed that in addition to being used as sustenance, these botanical species were also used for religious rituals, healing rituals, and construction materials.^{[citation needed]}