Chinese archaeologists are commencing their first joint archaeological project in South America after Chinese and Peruvian institutions signed an agreement on Friday to conduct research on the ancient Caral civilization in Peru.
The cooperation agreement was signed by the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Caral Zonal Archaeological Complex of the Ministry of Culture of Peru, and the Professional School of Archaeology of the National University of San Marcos.
The Caral civilization emerged on the northern coast of Peru and dates back approximately from 3000 BCE to 1800 BCE. It is considered the oldest discovered civilization in the Americas.
Teams from China and Peru will conduct comprehensive archaeological surveys at the Caral sites. This work will include field surveys and excavations, scientific and technological archaeological research, cultural heritage preservation, as well as joint training of archaeological specialists.