MINOR PUBLIC BUILDING E2-E3, “DUAL BUILDING”

from Urban centers of Caral Civilization: 21 years recovering history on the Social System

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Building located in the northeastern side of the upper half of Caral’s urban center, between the Major Public Pyramidal Building with circular plaza E1 and the Minor Public Pyramidal Building G. It is formed by two buildings that in a first period were separated, but after several refurbishments were restructured as a single complex building, with two independent access stairs.

SIZE

N-S: 35 m

E-W: 75.72 m

Height: 7.30 m

Surface: 2,630 m2

Urban Role

The building was located in a strategic area, with visual control over the valley and two streets that lead to Caral’s urban center. Together with the Minor Pyramidal Building G1 they formed a shared public space, in a sector of the Great Central Plaza.

Use

During the first period the Building of the west side (E2), because of its architectonic design, building materials and the presence of fire pits and food waste it might have been a residence related to the Building of the East side (E3), which had a public ceremonial use. The proximity of the buildings suggests that they were conducted by the same social group. In the next period both were restructured as a single building, with ceremonial halls and a circular altar on the top, which are evidence of its public use.

Building Technique

During the first period, they used quincha to build walls of the Residential Building E2. During the second period, they buried the former build ings with dirt mixed with stones and cras, thus forming platforms defined with stonewalls. On the west side platform they built rooms with quincha and on the east side they built a cer emonial hall with stonewalls.

In the walls of both platforms they used cut stone and peb bles. The building’s walls were plastered with beige and yel low clay.

In the last period they cov ered the structures again with a single major plat form. On the platform they built ceremonial rooms with stonewalls and a circu lar fire altar with an under ground ventilation duct.