Americas' Oldest Temple Found

Adding to the list of Peruvian treasures, archaeologists yesterday announced the discovery of a 4,000-year-old temple used to worship fire—rife with remarkably well-preserved murals that are possibly the oldest in the Americas. “What’s surprising are the construction methods, the architectural design,” said the lead archaeologist.

The temple, which scientists have called Ventarron, is situated near Sipan, another site discovered in the 1980s that held a 1,700-year-old tomb filled with gold. The archaeologist said Ventarron provides evidence showing “the region was one of great cultural exchange between the Pacific coast and the rest of Peru.” (More Peru stories.)