The Mystery of the Valley of the Pyramids in Peru

Peru is fast turning into a capital of the pyramid world having the oldest officially recorded pyramid in the world. Purgatorio as it is named by the locals refers to the numerous pre Hispanic pyramids, mounds and enclosures located on the surrounding plan of La Raya Mountain and south of the La Leche River and the Lambayeque valley, boats many natural and manmade water ways.  Besides, this region also has a large number of pyramids. Towards the city of Sipan, is a major pyramid concentration of South America, the pyramids of Tucume and is known as the Pyramids of the Valley of the Pyramids. The Lambayeque Valley, the largest valley along the North Coast of Peru is located between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountain range and has no less than three pyramid cities when combined have an amazing number of around 250 pyramids.  These three cities are understood to be built after a city was abandoned and a new one built in succession of each other.  The first city known as the Pampa Grande was built somewhere between 600 and 750 AD, and the pyramids were known as Huaca Fortaleza which were built amounting to a height of fifty meters and 200 meters wide. This structure does not seem to be very impressive in spite of it being intact. The other is the Batan Grande, built between 750 and 1100 AD; with 34 pyramids inclusive of the Huaca de Oro also known as the Pyramid of Gold, before which a series of royal tombs were located. These pyramids are ruined due to El Nino rains in the year 1982 and 1998 though the major destruction was man made in 1100 AD when the pyramids were burnt and the town was abandoned to be taken over by Tucume between 1100 and 1500 AD.

The Tucume site with an area of over 540 acres of land encompasses around 26 major pyramids and platforms and is a part of the Lambayeque Valley pyramids inperu which is the largest valley of the North Coast of Peru. Tucume lies on the southern side of the valley and due to the Taymi irrigation canal which runs over 43 miles long, is able to provide water northwards from Chancay River and is surrounded by rich agricultural fertile land. The locals believed that the gods lived within these structures and continue to invoke its power and the gods who once lived within these structures.  Various legends regarding this city are recorded and one such legend recorded by Father Cabello de Balboa in 158 states, how Cala, a grandson of Naylap, the founder of the Lambayeque royal dynasty declared Tucume as the new metropolis for the people and that Cala was exiled from Batan Grande.