Archeologists from Peru believe that the temple they found in El Paraiso, near Lima, Peru is one of the world’s oldest temples, thought to have been established 5,000 years ago, if their estimate is correct. The area where the temple is found is called El Paraiso, a 50-hectare archeological site, at the Chillon River Valley that lies to the north of the country’s capital, Lima. The team of archeologists and researchers was headed by Marco Guillen. If the estimated age of the ancient temple is correct, it would be of the same age as the ancient village of Caral that is located about 200 kilometers from this present site.
El Paraiso is a one of the biggest and major archeological sites in Peru. Already ten ruins have been excavated in the area. The archeologists were doing conservation work in January on a set of ruins that are about 4,000 years old when they discovered the temple. The temple, given the name Temple of Fire was located at one of the wings of the major pyramid. It was buried under rocks and sand. The site included a hearth that archeologists think was used for burning offerings to their gods. Stones covered in yellow clay and showing traces of red paint form the walls of the temple. It is a clear indication that the religion practiced by the ancient civilization in the area was centered on fire which burned from the center of the temple. It also suggests that villages and civilizations in the Late Pre-Ceramic Age, which existed from 3500 BC until 1800 BC were interconnected more closely than what was initially thought.
From the things that have already been unearthed, they opined that the ancient coastal civilization, which they think is central to the Andean civilization in the region, grew cotton and other crops which they used for trading with fishermen in the area.
Experts believe that Peru is a very rich archeological site and that thousands more are still waiting to be found. They fear that looters and treasure-hunters would flock to the county.
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