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Casma is a city in the coastal desert of 
Santa Maria Magdalena is the city's patron saint, whose day is celebrated on July 22.
Some of the largest prehistoric monuments around the world are situated around the city, in the Casma and Sechin valleys. These include Sechin, Chanquillo, Mojeque and Las Aldas.
The nearby Pacific coastline boasts beaches such as La Gramita, El Litro, Punta el Huaro and Tortugas.
Scientists determine ancient Peruvian citadel was earliest solar observatory in the Americas
{{Coord, 9, 28, 27, S, 78, 18, 38, W, scale:15000, display=title Populated places in the Ancash Region
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
, located northwest of Lima. It is the capital of Casma Province and the third most populous city in the Ancash Region
Ancash ( qu, Anqash; es, Áncash ) is a department and region in northern Peru. It is bordered by the departments of La Libertad on the north, Huánuco and Pasco on the east, Lima on the south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Its capital i ...
with an estimated population of 29,343 (2015). It is located in the lower Casma Valley
The Casma River, which upstream is called Río Grande, is a river that crosses northern Casma province in the Ancash Region of Peru. It originates in the Black Mountain Range and drains into the Pacific Ocean. Major tributaries include the Sechí ...
, covering an area of 1,205 km².
The name of the city may derive from the extinct ''Quingman'' language.
Santa Maria Magdalena is the city's patron saint, whose day is celebrated on July 22.
Some of the largest prehistoric monuments around the world are situated around the city, in the Casma and Sechin valleys. These include Sechin, Chanquillo, Mojeque and Las Aldas.
The nearby Pacific coastline boasts beaches such as La Gramita, El Litro, Punta el Huaro and Tortugas.
Archaeology
Sechin Bajo Archaeological Site
In February 2008, German and Peruvian archeologists working at Sechin Bajo uncovered a stone and adobe ceremonial plaza which they dated to 5,500 years ago. This makes it the oldest known monument in Peru and one of the oldest structures ever found in the Americas. The pyramid, main square, and circular sunken courtyard complexes extend over in length.Chankillo Archaeological Site
The Thirteen Towers of Chankillo (Chanquillo) run north to south along a low ridge within a fourth-century BCE architectural complex in the Casma Valley, in northern coastal Peru. From hypothesized observing positions within nearby buildings to the west and east, the towers form an artificial, toothed horizon that roughly spans the annual rising and setting arcs of the Sun. The Chankillo towers are interpreted as marking positions of the apparent annual solar movement along the horizon, and as evidencing Sun cults, preceding the Sun pillars of Cusco by almost two millennia.Ghezzi, Ivan; and Clive Ruggles (2 March 2007). "Chankillo: A 2300-Year-Old Solar Observatory in Coastal Peru". Science (Washington, DC: AAAS) 315 (5816): pp. 1239–1243. . ISSN 0036-8075. OCLC 110607624. .Las Aldas Archaeological Site
Las Aldas (or Las Haldas) is located on the Pacific coast, about south of the Casma River and dates from 1800-1000 BC. The lack of fresh water source nearby has led archaeologists to surmise that the people of Las Aldas traded seafood and other maritime resources for agricultural produce with the urban centers located inland, such as those of the Casma Valley and the Norte Chico civilization to the south.Notes
:1.The Thirteen Towers of Chankillo and their connection to the rising and the setting arcs of the Sun has not been proven.References
External links
Scientists determine ancient Peruvian citadel was earliest solar observatory in the Americas
{{Coord, 9, 28, 27, S, 78, 18, 38, W, scale:15000, display=title Populated places in the Ancash Region