Urban design of the initial Formative period

An upper and a lower half can be observed; a design applied following the principles of social organization of Caral civilization, and that was going to be continued by other societies on the Andean cultural process.

In both halves they built blocks of houses made of quincha on the ground or on low stone platforms, as well as public buildings of different sizes and architectural components, all of which show shared cultural elements.

In the upper half the Major Public Pyramidal Building C4 (Dual Pyramidal Building) stands out, which marks the central axis around which they built three smaller public pyramidal buildings: C2, C3 and C5. These buildings were located around a central space, where there formerly was a block of residences that were destroyed (C1, C6). Residential complexes C7 and C8 are located to the northeast of the upper half, still not investigated.

In the lower half of the Major Public Pyramidal Building A1 and a sunken circular plaza with stairs led by great vertical stones. This building forms a block with other two smaller public pyramidal buildings A2, A5 and a possible residential area, A3. Excavations have been focused on the Building A1; in buildings A2 and A3 only have conducted targeted excavations.

Changes in designs, styles and technologies that correspond to a time sequence are observed in all buildings. Monumental quincha prevails in the first public buildings, built on high platforms. In the following periods they increased the buildings and replaced the quincha rooms with others made of stone. Monumental architecture and overlapped platforms were built with stone on structured deposits of “s hicras”, fiber bags with stones.

The Minor Public pyramidal building F1 and the residential sub-complex D, E and H are located in the chain of natural elevations, located in the outskirts, and has been adapted to the topography. To date only the F1 building and the Residential complex H have been investigated.

MAJOR PUBLIC PYRAMIDAL BUILDING C4, “Dual Pyramidal Building”

MAJOR PUBLIC PYRAMIDAL BUILDING WITH SUNKEN CIRCULAR PLAZA A1

MINOR PUBLIC PYRAMIDAL BUILDING C5, “Las Esculturas (The sculptures) Building”

Minor Public Pyramidal Building F1

Major Public Pyramidal Building with Sunken Circular Plaza A1

Minor Public Pyramidal Building C3

Major Public Pyramidal Building C4, “Dual Pyramidal Building”

Residential Sub-complex C1

Minor Public Pyramidal Building C5, “Las Esculturas (The Sculptures) Building”

Minor Public Building A4

Minor Public Pyramidal Building with Sunken Circular Plaza, embedded in a quadrangular platform B1

Residential sub-complex A3

Minor Public Pyramidal Building A2

Residential complex H

It is formed by residences of quincha walls and low stone platforms, located in the central part of the upper half of the city.

In a first period, in all this space, they built residential units of quadrangular plans and thin quincha walls. Small evidence is left from these rooms, such as fragments of floors, and wall plasters.

In a second period they built a not very high stone platform that covered the former architecture. On this platform they built new rooms, also with quincha walls.

The stone platform was remodeled several times, to expand it horizontally. In the last expansion they used larger stones, imitating the building style of public buildings. The staircase of the main façade was also remodeled in each platform expansion.

Last but not least, the sub-complex was destroyed and the whole space was leveled to have a central public area, around which they made the public buildings of the upper half of the city.