Carved Adobe Mural Uncovered in Peru

BARRANCA PROVINCE, PERU—DW News reports that a 3,800-year-old mural has been found at the Caral site of Vichama in Peru’s central coastal region. The mural, which consists of images of snakes and human heads carved into an adobe wall, measures about three feet tall and nine feet long, and stands at the entrance to a ceremonial hall. Archaeologist Ruth Shady Solís, director of the Caral excavations, said the four human heads in the mural are shown side-by-side with their eyes closed. The two snakes pass between and around them, with their heads pointed to what may be a humanoid seed symbol digging into the soil. Shady Solís thinks the serpents could represent a water deity who irrigated the earth. The mural may have been created during a drought and subsequent famine, since other reliefs at the site depict emaciated people. To read about a previous discovery relating to the Caral civilization, go to “Peruvian Woman of Means.”