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Ruth Shady
Ruth Shady en Caral 2014 (cropped).JPG
Shady in 2014
Born
Ruth Martha Shady Solís

(1946-12-29) December 29, 1946 (age 78)
Callao, Peru
Occupation Anthropologist and archaeologist
Known for First extensive documentation of the Norte Chico civilization
Awards BBC's 100 Women 2020

Ruth Martha Shady Solís (born December 29, 1946) is a famous Peruvian archaeologist and anthropologist. She is best known for finding and leading the important archaeological site of Caral.

Ruth Shady's Amazing Discoveries

Throughout her career, Ruth Shady has led many archaeological projects. She has explored different parts of Peru, including the coast, mountains, and rainforests. Her main focus has been studying how complex societies and governments developed in ancient times.

Discovering Caral, an Ancient City

Ruth Shady started working at the Caral site in 1994. She is famous for discovering the Norte Chico civilization. This was the first known civilization in the Americas. It is also one of the oldest civilizations in the entire world! Shady named this ancient culture after the Caral site.

In 2001, Ruth Shady and her team shared exciting news. They used a method called radiocarbon dating on items from Caral. This showed that large buildings, city living, and farming with irrigation started in the Americas a very long time ago. This was between 4,090 and 3,640 years ago!

What Caral Was Like

Caral is located about 23 kilometers (14 miles) from the Pacific coast. The main part of Caral covers an area of 65 hectares (about 160 acres). It has huge buildings, homes, and other structures. Caral is one of 18 large ancient sites found in the Supe Valley. These sites are from a time before pottery was used.

Ruth Shady's Important Roles

Ruth Shady holds several important positions. She is the President of ICOMOS-PERU. This is a group that works to protect historical sites. She is also a main professor at the University of San Marcos. There, she helps lead the master's program for archaeology students. She also directs the special archaeological project for Caral-Supe.

Awards and Recognition

Ruth Shady has received many honors for her work. In 2020, she was named one of the BBC's 100 Women. This list celebrates inspiring and influential women from around the world.

RShady
Ruth Shady after an archaeology conference at University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ruth Shady para niños

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