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Carol Yang

Chinese archaeologists will carry out their first joint field project in South America by exploring sites dating back thousands of years in Peru as Beijing steps up its efforts to deepen cultural ties with the region.
The Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said it had signed a cooperation agreement with the Caral Archaeological Zone of the Peruvian Ministry of Culture and the Professional School of Archaeology at the National University of San Marcos to explore sites related to the Caral civilisation.
The collaboration will include training, field surveys, joint excavations and projects to preserve cultural heritage.
The partnership will later expand to examine sites dating back to the much later Inca period in the Andean highlands to support studies comparing ancient Chinese and South American civilisations.
The joint project will start with field surveys of key sites associated with the civilisation, including major population centres such as Caral and Aspero, to develop excavation plans.
“This cooperation fills a blank in field archaeology for Chinese archaeological institutions in South America,” the Chinese institute said.
The Caral people, often described as the oldest known civilisation in the Americas, flourished around 3000BC to 1800BC along the coast of modern-day Peru.
Through the partnership, Chinese researchers will obtain first-hand archaeological data on early American civilisations, contributing what the institute described as “a Chinese academic perspective” to the study of early Pacific Rim societies.
The institute also said Peruvian institutions would be able to benefit from Chinese know-how in fields such as archaeological technology and heritage conservation.
In recent years, China has been pushing to strengthen relations with Latin American countries through stronger trade ties and major infrastructure projects such as the Chancay megaport in Peru.

The impact of US tariffs and Washington’s efforts to assert its influence in the region have also prompted some countries to diversify their partnerships, including closer ties with Beijing.
This year, senior officials and business delegations from countries including Uruguay and Brazil have visited China.
These trends have also spurred efforts to boost cultural ties, including projects with cultural institutions in Peru and Mexico to stage joint exhibitions showcasing ancient American civilisations.
During a state visit to China by then-Peruvian president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski in 2016, the two countries pledged to step up cultural exchanges as part of efforts to strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership.
The cultural alignment was further solidified during President Xi’s state visit to Peru in November 2024, when the two sides agreed to foster closer ties between cultural institutions, performing arts groups and educational bodies, and to step up joint efforts to protect cultural heritage.


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China

Diplomacy

The partnership – part of a wider effort to expand cultural ties – will explore sites associated with the 5,000-year-old Caral civilisation


The partnership – part of a wider effort to expand cultural ties – will explore sites associated with the 5,000-year-old Caral civilisation.


Peru

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Archaeology and palaeontology

Chinese archaeologists heading to Peru for first joint project to explore ancient sites

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The partnership – part of a wider effort to expand cultural ties – will explore sites associated with the 5,000-year-old Caral civilisation

The partnership – part of a wider effort to expand cultural ties – will explore sites associated with the 5,000-year-old Caral civilisation