Chinese archaeologists heading to Peru for first joint project to explore ancient sites

The partnership – part of a wider effort to expand cultural ties – will explore sites associated with the 5,000-year-old Caral civilisation

Chinese archaeologists will carry out their first joint field project in South America by exploring sites dating back thousands of years in Peru as Beijing steps up its efforts to deepen cultural ties with the region.

The Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said it had signed a cooperation agreement with the Caral Archaeological Zone of the Peruvian Ministry of Culture and the Professional School of Archaeology at the National University of San Marcos to explore sites related to the Caral civilisation.

The collaboration will include training, field surveys, joint excavations and projects to preserve cultural heritage.

The partnership will later expand to examine sites dating back to the much later Inca period in the Andean highlands to support studies comparing ancient Chinese and South American civilisations.

The joint project will start with field surveys of key sites associated with the civilisation, including major population centres such as Caral and Aspero, to develop excavation plans.

“This cooperation fills a blank in field archaeology for Chinese archaeological institutions in South America,” the Chinese institute said.

The Caral people, often described as the oldest known civilisation in the Americas, flourished around 3000BC to 1800BC along the coast of modern-day Peru.