Archaeological Research at Sechín Bajo Site, Casma

Abstract

Archaeological research performed at the Sechín Bajo site have yielded new data related to the origins of Andean civilization. Archaeological excavation and geophysical methods carried out to date have revealed a long history of the construction of monumental architecture that lasted about 2000 years. Three buildings have been studied so far, the oldest of which is associated with a circular sunken court; the other two reveal modifications and changes in architectural design. The "Second Building" is characterized by graffiti on an outside wall; the graffitti has a design motif reminescent of a complex mythological being that corresponds to the early Formative period. This is the first time this motif has been found in an architectural context. These new data from the principal nucleus of monumental sites in the Sechín River Valley provide the opportunity to discuss the rise of construction activities related to monumentality in the valley and to other sites of the Archaic and Formative periods in the Andes.