Pariñas-Chira Archaeology: A Preliminary Report

The following account of ancient remains in northern Peru is the result of a reconnaissance during May, 1941 from Cabo Blanco southward to Piura. The surface collections from various archaeological sites, now in the Peabody Museum of Harvard University, have not yet been repaired and will be published subsequently. The present report, however, includes material from local collections, which tells the basic story.The region of which we write embraces two river valleys: Parinas and Chira (Fig. 44). The Parinas, according to a classification published by Kroeber, is a third-class river which reaches the sea a few miles north of the oil port of Talara. When I saw it, there was considerable flow of water, but automobiles could cross in places.