Friezes of corpses, toads and snakes at Wecham reveal planetary “climate change” 3,800 years ago.

The latest finds in Vichama Urban Center, an archaeological site located on the right bank of the Huaura River, Vegueta District, Huaura Province, Lima Province Region, reflect the record “changing of the climate”Planetarium,” said archaeologist Ruth Shady, director of the Caral Archaeological Site.

During the show”WichamaCiudad Agropesquera de Vegeta Huaura: climate change and its record in the memory of a social collective 3,800 years ago”, Ruth Shady claimed that archaeological work began in 2007 with the support of the local population.

“AT Wichama we find much of the Caral tradition, but also new cultural elements typical of the period that follows the Caral period and which explain in a rather didactic way that changing of the climate, because we didn’t know why Caral went into crisis and collapsed after 1000 years of great prestige. So, we are doing research with experts in changing of the climate. We started with our own hypotheses, worked excavations of more than 12, 15 and 20 meters in Caral in different places and saw stratigraphy reflecting climate change, studies were carried out and the first results were published in the journal once“, said.

However, Ruth Shady emphasized that in Wichama more interesting details were found about this time and how this population kept records, so as not to forget that changing of the climate means to them.

“In the same time changing of the climate and its consequences, in northern Mesopotamia, which is one of the civilizations as ancient as the Caral, they also had to leave the urban centers due to lack of food and drought. it changing of the climate planetary characteristics, it has nothing to do with (phenomenon) El Niño or Niña, it is changing of the climate all over the world it has already begun,” he said.

Corpse bodies and a humanized toad

Ruth Shady explained that over the years Wichama which correspond to the period between 1800 BC. and 1500 BC early formation.

“It was clear that there was a story that reflected what happened in changing of the climate. There are two round squares. In the early period it was oriented to the north, but later, with changes taking place, they were oriented to the east (…) they made new squares, buried the old buildings and oriented it to where the water comes from. The water comes from the east, descending from the mountain range,” he said of the main building in Wichama.

In this area, “impressive” insights into the consequences changing of the climate like friezes with figures of cadaverous adults with empty stomachs and closed eyes. “At the top, the youngest in a ritual dance between fish. We see that they are going to take advantage of the resources of the sea, which, although they exist in changing of the climate these are not the characteristics that he had under normal conditions,” he assured.

The archaeologist clarified that once changing of the climate passed, and its effects gradually disappeared, in Wichama one could watch the old building being dug in to create a new ceremonial center with a toad with lightning over its head. In addition, the main building, which changed its orientation to the east with cornices that were not in Caral.

“You can see a humanized toad, a toad, as you know, in Andean mythology represents the arrival of water, so the toad and the lightning that falls on its head is like an announcement of the imminent arrival of water,” he said.

Same way, Ruth Shady pointed out that in the warehouse building Wichama or sector K also appears a series of representations, as in the main building, associated with changing of the climate.

“There is a toad on the head of a man who is apparently dying like the dead man in the previous building and is trying to force him to live. And from behind it is very symbolic and interesting, because you see two snakes approaching the center with their heads, and the snake represents the rivers in Andean symbolism. As if the rivers are already about to arrive with the heads of the dead to the central head, which is waiting with its mouth open for the arrival of water , – he said…

Ruth Shady He added that the populations of the jungle and mountains were the first to suffer from water shortages, who tried to migrate to places where food could still be obtained, such as marine resources.

“Imagine what this will mean for Peru, one of the most vulnerable countries, as it changing of the climate otherwise, we already have the necessary actions to mitigate it, such as transforming the waters of the Pacific Ocean or using solar energy towards mountains and jungles,” he said.

Gender equality

In addition, figurines of female heads and musical instruments such as flutes and bone whistles were found in the warehouse building.

“They were found in Wichama these figurines are made of unbaked clay, like Caral himself, where two seated authorities are visible, a man, a woman, and in the center stands a priestess. There has always been gender equality. Duality is visible in the design of the built-up space of Karala, with male authorities in the upper half and female authorities in the lower half. AT Wichama the same thing is repeated. Women have the same right to be in power,” he said.

Finally, Ruth Shady indicated that it was found in all archaeological sites associated with Wichama objects reflecting transversal intercultural relations.

“We found an image of a howling mollo, akhiote seeds and quite a few fabrics made and decorated with macaw feathers that were not on the coast and, to a lesser extent, in the mountains. There is evidence not only for lateral linkage, but also for long distances using marine resources. They used the sea to be able to move to Ecuador and establish contact with them, as well as to exchange spondylosis, from which they liked to make their necklaces. We also found sodalite, which, according to experts, was brought from the Bolivian highlands by river. choice, because he was at the entrance to Urubamaba for the arrival of everyone who brought food from the eastern part, ”he said.



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