Casma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Casma
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Town
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| Nickname(s):
Tierra del Eterno Sol (Land of the Eternal Sun)
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 Casma
Location in Peru
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| Country |  Peru |
| Region | Ancash |
| Province | Casma |
| Elevation | 210 m (680 ft) |
| Population | |
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(2015)
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29,343 |
| Time zone | PET |
Casma is a city in Peru, located on the coast. It's about 330 kilometers (205 miles) northwest of Lima. Casma is the main city of Casma Province. It's also the third largest city in the Ancash Region, with about 29,343 people living there in 2015. The city is in the lower Casma Valley.
Its name might come from an old language called Quingman, which is no longer spoken. The city celebrates its patron saint, Santa Maria Magdalena, every year on July 22.
Around Casma, in the Casma and Sechin valleys, you can find some of the biggest ancient monuments in the world. These include amazing places like Sechin, Chankillo, Mojeque, and Las Aldas.
The nearby Pacific coastline has beautiful beaches. Some popular ones are La Gramita, El Litro, Punta el Huaro, and Tortugas.
Contents
Discovering Ancient Sites in Casma
The area around Casma is famous for its many ancient ruins. These sites tell us a lot about the people who lived here thousands of years ago.
Sechin Bajo: Peru's Oldest Monument
In 2008, archaeologists from Germany and Peru made an exciting discovery at Sechin Bajo. They found a ceremonial plaza made of stone and adobe. This plaza is about 5,500 years old!
This makes it the oldest known monument in Peru. It is also one of the oldest structures ever found in all of the Americas. The large pyramid, main square, and round sunken courtyards at Sechin Bajo stretch for over 1 kilometer (0.6 miles).
Chankillo: An Ancient Solar Observatory
The Thirteen Towers of Chankillo are a unique ancient site. They stand in a line from north to south on a low ridge. This amazing complex was built around 400 BCE in the Casma Valley.
From special viewing spots, these towers create a jagged horizon. They line up with where the sun rises and sets throughout the year. Scientists believe the Chankillo towers were used to track the sun's yearly movement. This shows that ancient people here studied the sun almost 2,000 years before similar sun pillars were used in Cusco.
Las Aldas: A Coastal Trading Hub
Las Aldas (also called Las Haldas) is an archaeological site right on the Pacific coast. It's about 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the Casma River. This site dates back to between 1800 and 1000 BC.
There wasn't much fresh water nearby at Las Aldas. Because of this, archaeologists think the people living there traded seafood and other ocean resources. They likely exchanged these for farm products with cities further inland. These inland cities included those in the Casma Valley and the Norte Chico civilization to the south.
Images for kids
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Casma city during the day.
See also
In Spanish: Casma para niños
