Peñico

Welcome to the ancient and long forgotten city of Penico. As you stand here at the very base of this sun baked hillside, you are looking up at a landscape that silently kept a profound secret for more than three millennia. …

As we begin our physical ascent up the hillside, you will notice the gradual incline of the terrain. We are walking toward an elevation of approximately six hundred meters, or roughly one thousand nine hundred seventy feet, above…

We have now arrived at the outer residential complex of Penico. Take a moment to observe the ruined foundations of the dwellings scattered around you. …

We have stepped into an area that served as an artisan workspace and domestic hearth, situated just behind the main residential cluster. If the walls of the houses showed us their philosophy of equality, the objects found buried…

Rising up before you are the imposing remnants of what archaeologists refer to as the Citadel of Penico. This is the largest and most massive public building in the entire settlement. …

You have now entered the undisputed heart of Penico. This is the central circular plaza. …

Step right up to the inner walls that form the boundary of the circular plaza. As your eyes adjust to the texture of the dried clay, a distinct and repeating pattern will begin to emerge. …

Just steps away from the circular plaza, you are now looking at a large, prominent building that stands out due to its relatively grand size. In almost any other archaeological site in the world, a structure of this dimension,…

You have reached the high lookout point on the outer edge of the Penico settlement. Take a deep breath and let your eyes sweep across the magnificent, rugged panorama of the valley sprawling out below you. …

We have reached the end of our journey through the forgotten city of Penico. As we follow the path back toward the modern world, take a moment to reflect on the profound silence that surrounds these ruins. …