For all of you treasure seekers and American culture collectors and enthusiasts, a new discovery has been made to fawn over. A 4,000-year-old temple, which is located inside a larger ruin, has been unearthed on the northern coast of Peru, making it one of the oldest finds to date in the Americas. Peruvian archeologist Walter Alva (seen in the picture at left with a mural), led the dig in the Lambayeque Valley, about 472 miles from Lima, Peru's capital. Alva also discovered Sipan, an administrative and religious center of the Moche culture, during the 1980's. The temple “Ventarron” is filled with murals and includes a staircase that leads to an altar which was used for fire worship. The construction methods and architectural design of Ventarron impressed the discoverers since its erection predates Sipan by centuries. “The discovery of this temple reveals evidence suggesting the region of Lambayeque was one of great cultural exchange between the Pacific coast and the rest of Peru,” said Alva.

Here's a brief history lesson to help clarify: Until the Spanish arrived in the Americas during the 1500s, the Incas ruled their empire for several centuries. Their nation stretched from Colombia and Ecuador in the north, to what are now Peru and Chile in the south. Peru is known to be rich in archaeological treasure from this time, including that which was found in the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in the Andes. Discoveries made at Sipan have included a gold-filled tomb built 1,700 years ago for a pre-Incan king. Perhaps discoveries of ancient treasure at Ventarron will yield as positive of results as the Sipan exploration's did. Pieces from Incan culture are extremely valuable and highly sought after, and I believe artifacts from Ventarron will be treated similarly. To read the entire article, click here. Also, feel free to post pictures and stories to this blog of ancient art and artifacts, as well as share your historical items within the iTaggit Gallery.