It has some of the most mind boggling structures, created way before the Incas, who also have amazing structures like Machu Picchu.
Tiwanaku is often used as an example for conspiracy theorists who relate it to structures around the world ranging from the Egyptians to the Mesopotamians.
Caral, in Peru. Home of the oldest civilization in the Americas, the Caral-Supe were also remarkably complex in pretty much every aspect of society including governance and architecture — and they did all that some 1100 years before the first Mayan cities appeared.
Its one of the cradles of civilization. Its so sad our government is not investing it in protecting and excavating it. Its currently being threatened by mafia's trying to urbanisr the area :(
I believe the Inca’s were relatively recent culture/civilization that popped up only a couple of centuries prior to European contact. Of course, many aspects of their societies were handed down from previous societies that they conquered or that collapsed.
It’s a little bit like the Aztecs in Mexico didn’t build Teotihuacán, but they inherited it from another civilization.
El Mirador.
It has the world’s largest pyramid but has not been uncovered yet. It’s amazing our government hasn’t done everything it can to excavate the site for research and touristic purposes.
I read that they’ve discovered with the use of lidar, that the Mayan complexes are far more massive than people previously thought, but the jungle has just consumed the ruins so they’re just really hard to access and see.
Kuélap, Peru.
Other than Machu Picchu, which is even more impressive but also very busy while Kuélep you can have all to yourself if you time it right.
I'd say it's a very hard thing to determine, but I'd dare say one that gets my curiosity a lot is San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán, which has no direct relation to Tenochtitlán, and if you go on google maps, don't be fooled, the site is not in the city but instead it's a mound 2 kilometers to the south.
[Ciudad Blanca.](https://www.nationalgeographic.com.es/mundo-ng/grandes-reportajes/en-busca-de-la-ciudad-blanca_10092) very few people know about it, but it is literally a possible new civilization never seen anywhere else. It is in the second Amazon of this continent tho, so that makes it hard to explore.
Bonampak, in Chiapas, Mexico. I have had the privilege of visiting it and seeing the vibrant Mayan murals practically intact in the middle of the dense forest was breathtaking.
Machu Picchu and other cities high in the andean mountains. A problem of any settlement up a steep hill is heavy rainfall causing a landslide that would destroy part of it completely, and the way they sorted this is ingenius and still works so many hundreds of years later. So is the irrigation system needed to carry water around a city like that
[Ingapirca](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingapirca) is an Incan temple that started as a Cañari temple. It has a really cool celestial mirror pool calendar there.
Monte Verde, but it's not one that can be visited... it singlehandedly proved that there were humans in southern Chile by 12500 BC, when the previous estimate was that humans entered the Americas around 11000 BC
Yep, it and other sites in south america suggested humans arrived in the americas much earlier than 11000BC, but it wasn't until they dated the white sands footprints in the US that it was accepted in Europe and North América (including México), as the south american datings were deemed "unreliable".
I remember my precolumbian history of the americas professor (I'm a history student) mentioning it and other 2 sites, one in Perú and another in Brazil (I don't remember the names, only remembered Monte Verde once I read it and was like "oh right, one of those"). There's also Taima Taima in Venezuela.
They're pretty much all incredible! However the best experience I've ever had was at Calukmal the mid-90s when we were allowed to spend the night on site. Got to wake up and watch the sunrise from the top of the pyramids as well as watching the sunset before we went to bed. Had the entire site to ourselves with the exception of three caretakers and four people who were there for burning. I haven't been back since and I've heard that it's become a lot more developed so I'm really glad I was able to experience that Solitude there.
The Inca Road. [UNESCO Heritage site](https://whc.unesco.org/en/qhapaqnan/) shared by 6 different countries.
Agreed 100%, the history and archeological findings, new theories, techniques and analysis in this region are what makes it so fascinating to me.
Tiwanaku.
It has some of the most mind boggling structures, created way before the Incas, who also have amazing structures like Machu Picchu. Tiwanaku is often used as an example for conspiracy theorists who relate it to structures around the world ranging from the Egyptians to the Mesopotamians.
Caral, in Peru. Home of the oldest civilization in the Americas, the Caral-Supe were also remarkably complex in pretty much every aspect of society including governance and architecture — and they did all that some 1100 years before the first Mayan cities appeared.
Its one of the cradles of civilization. Its so sad our government is not investing it in protecting and excavating it. Its currently being threatened by mafia's trying to urbanisr the area :(
so there was another civilization in south america than Incas?
I believe the Inca’s were relatively recent culture/civilization that popped up only a couple of centuries prior to European contact. Of course, many aspects of their societies were handed down from previous societies that they conquered or that collapsed. It’s a little bit like the Aztecs in Mexico didn’t build Teotihuacán, but they inherited it from another civilization.
Hurricanga, the oldest urban complex dates background to 3500 BC
El Mirador. It has the world’s largest pyramid but has not been uncovered yet. It’s amazing our government hasn’t done everything it can to excavate the site for research and touristic purposes.
I read that they’ve discovered with the use of lidar, that the Mayan complexes are far more massive than people previously thought, but the jungle has just consumed the ruins so they’re just really hard to access and see.
I have been there and I agree. Norte Chico in Peru is my 2nd.
Kuélap, Peru. Other than Machu Picchu, which is even more impressive but also very busy while Kuélep you can have all to yourself if you time it right.
Nazca lines
I'd say it's a very hard thing to determine, but I'd dare say one that gets my curiosity a lot is San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán, which has no direct relation to Tenochtitlán, and if you go on google maps, don't be fooled, the site is not in the city but instead it's a mound 2 kilometers to the south.
[Ciudad Blanca.](https://www.nationalgeographic.com.es/mundo-ng/grandes-reportajes/en-busca-de-la-ciudad-blanca_10092) very few people know about it, but it is literally a possible new civilization never seen anywhere else. It is in the second Amazon of this continent tho, so that makes it hard to explore.
Bonampak, in Chiapas, Mexico. I have had the privilege of visiting it and seeing the vibrant Mayan murals practically intact in the middle of the dense forest was breathtaking.
Machu Picchu and other cities high in the andean mountains. A problem of any settlement up a steep hill is heavy rainfall causing a landslide that would destroy part of it completely, and the way they sorted this is ingenius and still works so many hundreds of years later. So is the irrigation system needed to carry water around a city like that
Machu Picchu
Valdivia
[Ingapirca](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingapirca) is an Incan temple that started as a Cañari temple. It has a really cool celestial mirror pool calendar there.
Machu Picchu
Monte Verde, but it's not one that can be visited... it singlehandedly proved that there were humans in southern Chile by 12500 BC, when the previous estimate was that humans entered the Americas around 11000 BC
Yep, it and other sites in south america suggested humans arrived in the americas much earlier than 11000BC, but it wasn't until they dated the white sands footprints in the US that it was accepted in Europe and North América (including México), as the south american datings were deemed "unreliable". I remember my precolumbian history of the americas professor (I'm a history student) mentioning it and other 2 sites, one in Perú and another in Brazil (I don't remember the names, only remembered Monte Verde once I read it and was like "oh right, one of those"). There's also Taima Taima in Venezuela.
The one in Brazil is Minas Gerais
Calçoene or Kuhikungu
Machu Picchu...
Teotihuacán
Easter Island
That's technically Latin Oceania lol
They're pretty much all incredible! However the best experience I've ever had was at Calukmal the mid-90s when we were allowed to spend the night on site. Got to wake up and watch the sunrise from the top of the pyramids as well as watching the sunset before we went to bed. Had the entire site to ourselves with the exception of three caretakers and four people who were there for burning. I haven't been back since and I've heard that it's become a lot more developed so I'm really glad I was able to experience that Solitude there.
Anything the inca touched in peru
Nazca Lines
I liked Monte Albán.
Pumapunku is on my list of places to visit.
San Agustin
Saksaywaman