The Sechin Ruins – The Oldest Settlement In The Americas

The Sechin Ruins are a must visit if you are in Casma. Set just outside the city, it’s a simple taxi ride away.

The ruins are said to be 5500-years-old (well before the Incas). In fact, it’s the oldest known urban settlement in all of the Americas. To give some context, this site is older than the Great Pyramid at Giza.

The Museum

There is a museum on site to learn a bit about the history and the importance of the site. Perhaps most interestingly, there is a mummy and mummified tattooed hands. See both below.

Views From Above

After you leave the museum, you walk toward the site. You can go to the ruins directly, or walk up some steps to get great views of the ruins from above as well as of the surrounding landscape.

The Ruins

The ruins themselves are a series of passageways, some with artistic drawings. The site was just found four years ago, so archaeologists are still trying to figure out what the site was used for. Below are some pictures.

Cactus

Last but not least, there was a very cool cactus there. It had some kind of red fruit attached to it, but there was a fence so I couldn’t get close. Anyway, if it’s red set amonngst the harsh desert, chances are it’s not edible.