CARAL HERITAGE OF THE CIVILIZATION

The Zona Arqueológica Caral is in charge not only of the archaeological research, but also of the conservation and restoration of the cultural heritage of the 5000 year-old Caral civilization. This immovable heritage stands out for its monumentality and architectural complexity, and it is millenary. It was built with cut stone masonry, joined with clay mortar, shicra bags, and quincha – woven organic material coated with clay.

As for its location, this heritage is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a highly seismic area.

All this makes the conservation and restoration of the immovable cultural heritage of the Caral civilization a permanent challenge. All the conservation and restoration works of the Zona Arqueológica Caral follow the criteria and principles of authenticity and integrity, established by UNESCO.

Efforts to preserve and restore the monuments of twelve archaeological sites of the Caral civi- lization and the following period -Early Formative period- are being conducted by a multidisciplinary team of the Zona Arqueológica Caral in order to ensure preservation, conservation and proper management of this important cultural heritage.

These activities have been taking place since 1994, and have been strengthened and perfected over the years, thus consolidating ethical and technical guidelines for conservation and restoration.

The strategic objectives of conservation and restoration include:

1. Ensuring full conservation and restoration of the Caral Civilization heritage.

2. Analyzing, defining and disseminating the technical-scientific guidelines and criteria for the conservation and restoration of the Caral Civilization sites, in line with international guidelines, such as the Venice Charter and other documents resulting from the ICOMOS meetings.

3. Developing and disseminating consistent methodologies for the conservation and restoration of architecture made of cut stone masonry with clay mortar, and architecture made of earth masonry with organic material.

4. Improving the knowledge of the staff working in the headquarters of the Zona Arqueológica Caral.

5. Defining and proposing quantitative and qualitative conservation and restoration indicators.

6. Encouraging cooperation and exchanging knowledge and experiences among conservation and restoration professionals nationwide and worldwide.

7. Promoting conservation and restoration sustainability.

The Zona Arqueológica Caral has established lines of action and implemented technical-scientific programs for the conservation and restoration, management, enhancement and social use of the Caral Civilization heritage for the long, medium and short term.

1. PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

It establishes the organization and work strategies, which help optimizing human, financial, material equipment and computer resources, among others in order to meet the goals of the annual and multi-year operating plan. It is implemented across all lines of action, programs, plans and activities.

2. REGULATIONS, CRITERIA AND PRINCIPLES

It consolidates programs, plans and activities to optimize the knowledge and enforcement of current national and international regulations on conservation and restoration, management, enhancement and social use of immovable heritage; as well as the management and preparation of documents, manuals, guides, among others.

3. RESEARCH

It comprises research activities applied to several tasks being carried out. The research program for conservation and integral restoration is prepared and includes the following plans:

• Research plan on management, prevention, risk contingency and natural disasters.

• Research plan on surface damage of stone architecture with clay mortar, earth and organic material, and decorative items (friezes).

• Research plan on structural damage.

• Research plan and tests in the chemical and physical laboratories.

• Research plan on scientific and technological innovation.

• Research plan on the conservation and restoration report within the framework of the 25th anniversary of the Zona Arqueológica Caral.

4. CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION

It covers all actions, plans and programs directly related to the conservation and restoration of immovable heritage at the prevention, work and monitoring stages. At all stages, it is essential to keep description records (using diagnostic, intervention and monitoring forms), graphic records (physical drawings and computer graphics) and photographic records, as well as three-dimensional records using scanner and a 3D fully-equipped station.

• Comprehensive conservation program: prevention, diagnosis, work and monitoring.

• Preventive conservation and risk management program.

• Immovable heritage conservation and in-situ restoration program.

• Program for the conservation of architectural - decorative elements.

• Conservation and restoration monitoring program.

5. CONSOLIDATION OF INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS

It consolidates permanent communication channels between professionals in different locations. It also seeks to establish strategic alliances with other public and private institutions that promote or implement conservation and restoration actions.

The Research and Conservation Archives of the Zona Arqueológica Caral hosts the System to Record Diagnosis, Intervention and Monitoring information of Conservation and Restoration efforts (SIRIDIM-CORE). This system keeps records of all conservation and restoration activities carried out at all stages (prevention, intervention and monitoring), as well as of the technical files and reports prepared for the Ministry of Culture and for the UNESCO Office, which serve to ratify the World Heritage status of the Sacred City of Caral-Supe every year.

Similarly, ZAC has a digital library specialized in conservation and restoration of archaeological immovable heritage and management of cultural heritage to be used by technical and professional staff of different areas.

6. TRAINING AND UPDATING ACTIVITIES

This activities aim at training and updating the knowledge of technical and professional staff, as well as raising the awareness of the general and academic community on archaeological site conservation issues. Insight and knowledge exchange is achieved through workshops, symposia, seminars, and other specialized national and international events, as well as the preparation of technical documents e.g. manuals, guides, among others. Moreover conferences, workshops and other activities are organized with agents related to immovable cultural heritage.

In this regard, three international workshops have been held by different specialists and had the participation of a national and international audience:

• “Workshop I, on conservation of architectural monuments: The conservation of stonebuilt and earth-built heritage, structural aspects in seismic areas”, from January 25 to 26, 2010.

• “Workshop II: Research, conservation and enhancement of architectural monuments: Theory and practice of conservation in stone and earth masonry constructions”, from March 26 to 28, 2010.

• “Workshop III: Research, conservation and enhancement of architectural monuments”, from January 28 to 30, 2011.

Likewise, two internal training workshops were held for the staff of Zona Arqueológica Caral:

• “Workshop I: internal conservation, restoration of the archaeological heritage of the Sacred City of Caral”, May 2011.

• “Workshop II, internal conservation, restoration of the archaeological heritage of the Sacred City of Caral”, May 2015.