Peñico, Peru's 3,800-year-old pre-Hispanic gem, opens its doors to tourism on July 12.

Dating back more than 3,800 years and located northwest of Lima, the Peñico archaeological site will be open to the public starting July 12 , according to Ruth Shady, director of the Caral Archaeological Zone (ZAC), in a press conference.

Renamed the Supe Valley Integration City, the site, founded around 1800 BC, is located in Huaura province, about 12 kilometers from the Sacred City of Caral, known as the oldest civilization in the Americas.

In addition to its tourist development and after eight years of work by a group comprised 80 percent of local residents, the Caral Archaeological Zone, which manages both spaces, will organize its first Peñico 'Raymi' (a traditional Andean sun festival) next Saturday, July 12, during the public opening of the new space, in an event led by Shady.

The archaeological urban center has up to 18 identified constructions, including major and minor public buildings and residences , and owes its new name to the exchange of populations that occurred throughout the early formative period.

Peñico blended the civilizations of Peru's mountains, coast, and jungle thanks to its "strategic location for the relationship between the populations of the Huaura and Suco valley basins," as explained by the director of the ZAC.

Among its buildings, a structure stands out with significant designs of "pututus" (wind musical instruments made of conch shells) depicted on the walls of a quadrangular hall that, experts believe, could identify this building as an important space for administrative and ideological activity.

In this Major Public Building , significant findings were identified, such as sculptures, made of clay, of anthropomorphic characters , zoomorphic figures, ceremonial objects and others, such as necklaces with animal bone and clay beads.

Throughout the nearly 17 hectares of Peñico, at an altitude of 600 meters, the space will feature visitor information points, such as the Andean Science and Technology Tunnel , with educational and interactive museum resources, such as infographics, models, dioramas, and digital recreations.

At the presentation of the opening of this new space, experts were provided with virtual reality headsets to explore the ancient civilization , thanks to a recreation of the area, including the ceremonial hall and other settlements, such as smaller public buildings and residential areas present at the Huaca de Peñico.

In this representation, the images show some of the findings found in the settlement , such as polychrome sculptures with Amazonian features or imagery of animals typical of these areas.