Both European and American civilizations have had the need to know and understand the origin of the world and humanity. Therefore, it is inevitable that a civilization develops a belief that generates cultural rituals. In the case of American civilizations, through nature and cosmology has emerged tradition, creation myths, and deities. These deities are zoomorphic in character, meaning they possess traits characteristic of animals.
Religion was used by the ruling class to establish social unity and strengthen cultural traditions. It was through religion that authorities maintained control, ensuring economic production and justifying the system with their own ties and deities, and securing their privileges in power.
Society periodically carried out collective activities that combined with other production, social, religious, or economic activities. This made it possible to maintain the social structure by organizing various events that associate the work of the population with market arrangements, festivals, ceremonies, rituals, music, dances, or banquets.
Religious Findings in Caral
In the city of Caral, religion is reflected through findings of ceremonial constructions such as pyramidal temples or smaller ones, all covered with clay and painted in various sections, mentioned in the article "The Sacred City of Caral (Peru): General Distribution of the Site (Part I)".
Other materials found include stones positioned in plazas and temple enclosures, likely related to astronomy and seasons of the year for agricultural purposes. Geometric and mathematical patterns are abundant, indicating significant development in Caral society, along with administrative activities for managing a sustainable economy (Shady, 2006, pp. 134-135).
Most ritual activities and offerings were related to these complexes. Supernatural beings, mystical visions, and social concerns related to life, fertility, death, and food production would be revealed in materials and architecture (Shady, 2003, p. 135).
The director of the complex writes that later elements are associated with ceremonies where red stones, cotton pieces, and burned foods stand out. Various evidences of these rituals have been found: use of campfires where food was burned, ashes subsequently scattered on monumental structures; holes containing food wrapped in leaves, human hair strands, coprolites, textile offerings, etc.
It is noteworthy the diversity of textiles offered to deities and the burning of many during the late archaic period. Unfired clay sculptures without gender are also visible.
Therefore, all buildings are of great importance since most were linked with religious acts, and at the same time influenced by high-ranking officials who moved through all acts of religiosity.
The Discovery of Caral-Supe Flutes
Highlighting religious rituals, during excavations in the city, a musical ensemble was recovered. This led to understanding that collective musical practice was crucial for organizing Caral society, including various specialized groups involved in artistic expressions. Music played an important role in activities carried out by the population.
The group of flutes was found at the southwest corner of the Theater Temple, (see in "The Sacred City of Caral (Peru): General Distribution of the Site (Part I)"), being the most prominent in all of Lower Caral. It resembles a sunken circular plaza with steps and staircases for access (Shady, 2003, p. 291).
The ensemble consists of 32 flutes that were found on a cut stone buried in sand, along with a boulder and a faceless human figure made of clay. These flutes are made from pelican wing bones and condor bones (specifically humeri, radii, and ulnae), with incisions and painted figures in red and black colors. Among the representations, we find a jumping monkey with large legs holding an object in its hands, combinations of bird species, felines, and monkeys, as well as snakes alongside zoomorphic representations. (Shady, 2003, p. 291).
Although each flute has distinct representations, there are also differences in terms of tracings and paint used.
The discovery is proposed as a hypothesis related to the Caral culture of the late archaic period since it lacks features of figures from the formative period. However, it could have been an offering placed by cultures from other periods. Radiocarbon dating of the bone flutes is necessary to contrast these hypotheses (Shady, 2003, p. 291).
The conditions of the discovery allow for a study on music (due to characteristics of width and thickness) and the level they reached in terms of complexity. Additionally, designs on the flutes show traits characteristic of Chavín tradition and could be related to the coastal and northern central sierra region of that civilization.
Acoustic-Archaeological Study of Caral-Supe Flutes
For the construction of the flutes, 15 humeri, 9 ulnae, and 8 radii from Pelecanus thagus and Vultur gryphus were used, sacrificing around eight birds. Today each specimen is studied. Of those known: ten contain fractures, seven are fragments only, while fifteen are complete. The musical instrument's structure consists of a hole inside the bone with clay partitions attached to the inner walls (some lost during cleaning in the pieces) (Shady, 2003, p. 294).
Based on the dimensions of each instrument, it is deduced that selected animals were young and well-fed birds, so Caral-Supe inhabitants chose each bird to achieve certain sound registers (Shady, R., 2003, pp. 294-295).
For the construction of pieces, bones are cut and cleaned only for humeri (due to their hollow interiors), then a hole is opened in the center of the bone, oval or rectangular shaped. Clay is included to develop the desired sound, adhering it in various sizes depending on the dimensions of the bone (Shady, 2003, p. 295).
Some flutes present binding marks, leading to four hypotheses: use for connecting two musicians with a string; ornamental purpose by tying two flutes together; symbolic use to hang around the musician's neck; and maintenance of two pieces joined to form a complete decorative face (Shady, 2003, p. 296).
Dr. Ruth Shady, considering the morphological characteristics of the flutes, concludes that various sounds can be produced through digitization: first case by blocking both ends of the flute; second case by blocking the left end and leaving the right open; third case by blocking the right end and leaving the left open; fourth case with both ends free. With these data and airflow, a PVC prototype is analyzed to assess harmonic variability and sound pressure (Shady, 2003, pp. 296-297).
Conclusion
The religion of Caral, like that of many other American populations, was subjected by the elite to establish unity. We can say that the civilization of Caral-Supe was subject to a social system where productive, political, economic, social, and leisure activities were linked to any deity. These same collective activities were carried out to maintain the structural system and support the population.
Any activity was tied to religion, and most public buildings found in the sacred city of Caral were also connected to religious ceremonies.
A clear example of the importance of religion is the flutes, which were discovered at the Theater Temple, and are related to rituals as seen in decorations.
Furthermore, the large number of flute specimens indicates that collective musical practice was part of religious activities. Therefore, various hypotheses presented affirm its connection to sacred ceremonies and thus, to Caral's religion.
Bibliography
Ramírez Beltrán, J. (2015). Civilization of Caral (Supe) - Lima - Peru. Its history and diffusion [Conference session]. IV Ibero-American Congress and XII Workshop on Techniques for Restoration and Conservation of Heritage. La Plata, Argentina. https://digital.cic.gba.gob.ar/items/ea9aa30a-7551-453d-a017-07db6731212c
Shady Solís, R. (2003). Flutes of Caral: the oldest musical ensemble in America. In Shady Solís, R. and Leyva, C. (Eds.), The Sacred City of Caral-Supe. The origins of Andean civilization and the formation of the pristine state in ancient Peru (pp. 289, 293). Special Archaeological Project Caral-Supe/INC.
Shady Solís, R., Leyva, C., Prado, M., Moreno, J., Jiménez, C. and Llimpe, C. (2003). The Flutes of Caral-Supe: approaches to the acoustic-archaeological study of the oldest musical ensemble in America. In Shady Solís, R. and Leyva, C. (Eds.), The Sacred City of Caral-Supe. The origins of Andean civilization and the formation of the pristine state in ancient Peru (pp. 293, 303). Special Archaeological Project Caral-Supe/INC.
Shady Solís, R. (2003). Religion as a form of social cohesion and political management at the dawn of civilization in Peru. In Shady Solís, R. and Leyva, C. (Eds.), The Sacred City of Caral-Supe. The origins of Andean civilization and the formation of the pristine state in ancient Peru (pp. 133-136, 297). Special Archaeological Project Caral-Supe/INC.
Shady Solís, R. (2006). Caral-Supe: The Oldest Civilization in America. Special Archaeological Project Caral-Supe/INC.
http://www.zonacaral.gob.pe/downloads/publicaciones/libro-caral-supe-la-civilizacion-2008.pdf
Tavera Vega, L. (s.f) Caral: The City of Pyramids. Archaeology of Peru.https://www.arqueologiadelperu.com.ar/caral_a.htm#:~:text=In%20the%20upper%20sector%2C%20the,of%20Caral
Zona Caral (s.f). Unit Executor 003 - Archaeological Zone of Caral. https://www.gob.pe/caral
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