''For the hydroelectric power plant and HVDC-back-to-back facility in Paraguay, see
Acaray Power Plant''
Acaray, also known as the Fortress of Acaray, is an
archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology a ...
located in the
Huaura River Valley on the near north coast of
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
(or the
Norte Chico region). The impressive
fortress is located on a series of three hilltops, each ringed with a number of perimeter defensive walls that have
parapet
A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). ...
s and
bastions, which stand as testaments to the military nature of the site. Radio carbon dating has established it was built about 900–200 BC and abandoned 1000–1470AD. Surrounding the hilltop fortress are lower-lying areas of occupation and extensive cemeteries, which have been heavily looted.
History of research
Attention was called to the site early on by the German
archaeologist Hans Horkheimer, who wrote about Acaray in 1962 in the Peruvian magazine, ''
Caretas
''Caretas'' (Masks) is a weekly newsmagazine published in Lima, Peru, renowned for its investigative journalism.
History
''Caretas'' was founded in October 1950 by Doris Gibson and Francisco Igartua.
In the mid-1950s, Gibson's son, Enrique Z ...
'', published in
Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...
. Calling it the ''Fortaleza de Huaura'' (the Fortress of Huaura), he deemed Acaray to be a true fortress, unlike the more well-known neighboring site of
Paramonga
Paramonga was an important city constructed at the border of the former Kingdom of Chimor in Peru during the late Intermediate Period (AD 1200 to 1400), whose capital was the metropolis of Chan Chan.
Paramonga is located on the Fortaleza River, ...
in the
Pativilca River
Pativilca is a town in central Peru, capital of the district Pativilca District, Pativilca in the province Barranca Province, Barranca in the region Lima Region, Lima.Municipalidad Distrital de PativilcaMunicipalidad Distrital de Pativilca Retriev ...
Valley, whose defensive nature has been questioned. Horkheimer noted the abundance of rolled river
cobble
Cobble may refer to:
* Cobble (geology), a designation of particle size for sediment or clastic rock
* Cobblestone, partially rounded rocks used for road paving
* Hammerstone, a prehistoric stone tool
* Tyringham Cobble, a nature reserve in Tyr ...
s on the surface of the site, which were likely used as projectiles or
slingstones.
[Horkheimer (1962)]
During the 1970s interest in Acaray increased, and the first work by archaeologists was initiated at the fortress. Peruvian archaeologist
Mercédes Cárdenas, of the Riva Agüero Institute, excavated at Acaray, among other coastal sites, as part of a larger project to understand the use of marine resources in the past on the Peruvian coast and to obtain
radiocarbon
Carbon-14, C-14, or radiocarbon, is a radioactive isotope of carbon with an atomic nucleus containing 6 protons and 8 neutrons. Its presence in organic materials is the basis of the radiocarbon dating method pioneered by Willard Libby and c ...
dates. She led a team that surveyed the Huaura Valley and excavated at several sites, including the hilltop fort at Acaray.
[Cárdenas (1977)] She estimated that it was built about 900–200 BC and abandoned 1000–1470 AD.
Around the same time, Peruvian archaeologist Arturo Ruiz Estrada, of the National University José Faustino Sánchez Carrión, and Peruvian engineer Domingo Torero visited the fortress; they wrote a detailed account describing the architectural features of the site.
[Ruiz Estrada and Torero (1978)]
In 2004, North American archaeologist Margaret Brown Vega, of the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univ ...
, began research at Acaray, carrying out intensive mapping, surface analysis, and excavations, which lasted for two years.
According to Brown Vega, Acaray early megalithic wall constructions may be similar to those of
Chankillo
Chanquillo or Chankillo is an ancient monumental complex in the Peruvian coastal desert, found in the Casma-Sechin basin in the Ancash Department of Peru. The ruins include the hilltop Chankillo fort, the nearby Thirteen Towers solar observato ...
from the same period.
[Brown Vega, M., 2009. ''Conflict in the early horizon and late intermediate period: new dates from the fortress of Acaray, Huaura valley, Perú''. Current Anthropology 50 (2), 255–266]
See also
*
List of archaeological sites in Peru
Archaeological sites in Peru are numerous and diverse, representing different aspects including temples and fortresses of the various cultures of ancient Peru, such as the Moche and Nazca. The sites vary in importance from small local sites to UNE ...
Notes
References
*Brown Vega, M., 2008. ''War and social life in prehispanic Perú: ritual, defense, and communities at the Fortress of Acaray, Huaura Valley.'' PhD dissertation, Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana-Champaign.
*Brown Vega, M., 2009. ''Conflict in the early horizon and late intermediate period: new dates from the fortress of Acaray, Huaura valley, Perú''. Current Anthropology 50 (2), 255–266.
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External links
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{{Archaeological sites in Peru
Forts in Peru
History of Peru
Former populated places in Peru
Archaeological sites in Lima Region
Archaeological sites in Peru
1st-millennium BC establishments in Peru
2nd-millennium disestablishments in Peru
1962 archaeological discoveries
Norte Chico civilization