A small sculpture of two toads and other water-linked symbols found near the Peruvian city of Caral, once the oldest city on the South American continent, have helped archaeologists confirm an ancient civilisation disappeared due to devastating climate change.
Climate change, a long-term and large-scale shift in weather patterns, can have natural causes such as changes in solar activity or volcanic eruptions. Since the early 1800s, human activities have been its main drivers.
Archaeologists said they found the small sculpture of the two amphibians, dating back 3,800 years, and anthropomorphic figures on mud walls earlier this year in the Vichama archeological site, about 160km north of the capital Lima.
The site flourished between 1800 and 1500 BC and was an urban centre whose population developed after the collapse of Caral.
The sculpture representing the toads symbolises fertility and the worship of water and rain after prolonged droughts, according to the Andean representation of the world, said archeologist Tatiana Abad, head of research at Vichama.
Abad said together with the 12cm sculpture of the two amphibians, figures of skeletal remains of individuals in a state of malnutrition were found on the walls of Vichama.
She said the figures look like they are in a state of malnutrition because of climate change, a global phenomenon that caused the decline of Caral and other civilisations in other parts of the world.
The toad is a symbol of a crisis that the populations endured and represents fertility and prosperity, Abad said.
Caral, a city made up of 32 monumental buildings dating back around 5,000 years, is contemporary with other civilisations such as those of Egypt and Sumer. However, it uniquely developed in complete isolation, according to researchers. Peru is a cradle of ancient cultures with important archaeological remains such as the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu and the mysterious giant lines and figures of Nazca located in a desert area on the central coast of the country.
Reuters
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