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May 20, 2006
Peruvian Observatory
Some of the world's oldest ornate carvings have just been unearthed deep in Peru. The site dates back 4,200 years before such artistic and technologic skill was previously known to have existed in the Americas.
The artifacts reveal a stone society that pre-dates the Inca culture by thousands of years. One of the structures are of a giant frowning face aligning with when the sunsets. On the opposite end of the site is another face that aligns with sunrise. Other carvings are more specific and depending on when the sun hits them - mark the beginning and end of that region's growing season.
I think the find is startling. It was previously thought the most advanced of ancient societies existed only in Europe and North Africa. Clearly we were wrong. This pre-ceramic culture created an agricultural calendar, technology that didn't come to Europe until much later.
There is so much scientific and artistic value in these ancient cultures. It's just a shame that so much of that history is lost forever due to the mistakes of modern times.
Posted by tranism at 8:23 PM | Permalink
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