El Paraíso, Peru
11°57′14″S 77°7′6″W / 11.95389°S 77.11833°W
Main pyramid at El Paraíso. | |
| Alternative name | Chuquitanta |
|---|---|
| Location | San Martin de Porres, Chillon River Valley, Peru |
| Region | Chillon River Valley |
| Coordinates | 11°57′13.68″S 77°7′6.39″W / 11.9538000°S 77.1184417°W |
| History | |
| Founded | 3790 cal. B.P. |
| Abandoned | 3065 cal B.P. |
| Periods | Cotton Preceramic |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1960s, Frédérick Engel; 1980s Jeffrey Quilter |
| Archaeologists | Jeffrey Quilter, Ripon College, Wisconsin ? |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural details | Number of monuments: 10 |
| Responsible body: Ministry of Culture, Peru | |
El Paraíso (Spanish pronunciation: [el paɾaˈiso], "The Paradise") or Chuquitanta (Quechua chuqui lance or metal, tanta bread) are the moderns names of a Late Preceramic (3500–1800 BC) archaeological site located in the Chillón Valley on the central coast of Peru. The site is situated several kilometers north of Lima, the capital of Peru, in the San Martin de Porres District in the Province of Lima. El Paraíso is one of the largest settlements from this period, encompassing over 58 hectares of land.
Other major centers from this period include Aspero and Caral on the northern coast in the Supé Valley. Sizable centers can be found in different ecozones, from the coast to inland areas. Stanish concluded that this was a time when settlements were broadly distributed, located at various distances from the coast allowing access to a variety of marine and agricultural resources.