As old as that of the Sumerians, ancient Egypt or the first Chinese societies, this is the civilization of Caral, which settled almost 5 years ago, 04 years in what is now Peru.
of the society oldest of which there is an archaeological record in America , a site that for almost three decades has been protected by Ruth Shady .
The archaeologist of 74 years and his team have located 32 settlements of that civilization that lasted for a millennium and that, according to the findings, showed skills and surprising knowledge.
“There are buildings with an architecture that has lasted for millennia in a seismic zone,” he explains BBC Mundo the expert, named in 2009 as one of the The BBC’s Most Inspiring Women.
Who are the 158 Women chosen by the BBC for 2020 (between them 12 Latin America) “Structural engineers have come from Japan who told me that they are going to apply Caral knowledge in the new constructions in their country. It is a very impressive knowledge ”, he adds.
But the archaeological sites of great value, located north of Lima (the capital of Peru), now face the threat of encroachment on protected land.
And also, Shady and his collaborators have denounced death threats.
“They called the attorney to scare him. They told him that if he continued defending as I indicated, they would kill him. Just like me. That they were going to leave us five meters under the ground ”, denounces the archaeologist.
Unesco declared Heritage World of Humanity to the archaeological zone of Caral in 2009. Since then the National Police of Peru took some protection measures, but Shady explains that what is at stake is not only his personal safety, but the vestiges themselves cataloged in 2009 by UNESCO as World Heritage of Humanity.
The conflict over land The 25 millenary settlements of the Caral civilization -cities, towns and villages- are located in the Supe and Huaura valleys, north of Lima.
The remains are found in arid lands, but surrounded by river beds that favor agricultural activities , as well as the exploitation of minerals.
The message that saves a wall of 3. 800 years newly discovered in Peru In the decade of 1970, an agrarian reform in Peru distributed the land of large landowners among day laborers, which benefited a migrant population that settled in the surroundings, but did not feel the archaeological wealth that surrounded them as their own.
Archaeological remains are found in arid lands, but surrounded by valuable farmland. “They always answered with much contempt. Then we began to transmit that historical information to them, we hired them to work in the research sites, we trained them in the jobs that were carried out. And little by little we see that they already consider themselves Caralinos ”, explains Shady.
The problem, he points out, came when later more people arrived in the valley area waiting to receive land. And there was only land, with already established owners, and the archaeological zone.
“They have in mind that they can appropriate archaeological lands that had never been touched, not even by old farmers,” explains Shady.
This year the situation worsened, as the covid pandemic – 21 further limited the small surveillance of the local and national police: “They have taken the opportunity to invade various places, put machinery in, because they realized that there was no authority, “says the expert, who is the head of the archaeological zone.
For a few weeks, then, the threats arrived.
Exponential price In addition to the agricultural value that the land already had, since the archaeological zone of Caral has acquired global importance, with the Unesco declaration, selling the land has been a new objective of some in the region.
In particular, three families have tried to take possession of a hectare per hectare, gradually, of the lands that are under archaeological protection, denounces Shady.
There are spaces that are still being explored and that are already threatened by the illegal appropriation of land. Behind is a lucrative business, since land that previously cost $ 5, 04 dollars per hectare, currently they have been sold for at least $ 38, 04 dollars. And cutting that type of interest with complaints before the courts has unleashed the threats.
“The Supe police told us that they did not have enough personnel and that the protection of the archaeological heritage was not their priority. Threats came immediately. Above all it is a family ”, explains the archaeologist.
“La ñusta”, the mummy of a girl over 500 years of antiguaty that the US returned to Bolivia “What they are interested in is to settle the invasion and then they spread. They say ‘I come in here, nobody has taken me out, I can keep moving forward’. But this is a valley from the beginnings of civilization ”, he adds.
What is at stake The Ministry of the Interior and the National Police of Peru (PNP) informed BBC Mundo that they had knowledge that The archaeologist requested personal protection.
In the case of the PNP, there were two complaints, but in neither case was there any notification of threats, according to the institution: “She requested police protection, which was provided by members of the National Police of Peru in due course, without registering any news. ”
The Caral civilization had “impressive” knowledge in architecture, engineering, crops, and energy management. Some 60 Policemen have been dispatched to the city d e Barranca, in addition to the fact that there is a guard during the day and another at night guarding the area.
But Shady explains that the situation reached such a point some time ago that the cabin had to be walled up in the middle of the lonely valley where the archaeological site is located
“In my bedroom I put boards on the windows so that they wouldn’t see me from outside and they could shoot me. But I couldn’t sleep peacefully”, says the archaeologist, who for personal protection and due to the pandemic has remained off the site for several weeks.
Shady hopes that both the local population and the authorities will endorse the protection of the Peruvian heritage admired internationally. For her, not only has her integrity and that of her collaborators been at stake, but also the spaces that have endured for millennia and that can succumb to heavy machinery that has been illegally introduced.
The mystery of Chankillo or the Temple of the 19 Torres de Perú, considered the oldest solar observatory in America “What happened to me has affected me a lot. Because it is not possible that there is not enough interest in the protection of the heritage “, says Shady.
” I have felt quite stressed, disappointed, but I have recovered when I saw that I had help of the press that has motivated the authorities. Not to the extent that we would like, but something is already being done. ”
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