Good morning.

We are presently at Km 348

of the Panamerican Highway North,

near the archaeological site

of Las Haldas,

a very ancient site

of about 5000 years old.

We are presently at the

archaeological site of Las Haldas

which is located 1 km north

of La Gramita beach,

at Km 348 of the

Panamerican Highway North.

This building is oriented

in a southwest to northeast direction,

toward the vallley of

the Grande river,

tributary of the Casma river,

which is at about 20 km distance

from this site,

itself next to the ocean.

Toward the north we can observe

a very high hill,

named Cerro Mongon.

This is the highest hill existing

from Moquegua to Tumbes.

There is not another high hill

like this next to the ocean.

It is 1144 m above mean sea level.

To its south

there are some gentle slopes.

These slopes thrive with vegetation

during the winter.

A great unknown,

particularly for the researchers,

is how these people

managed to get their fresh water.

The valley is at a distance of 20 km.

In those times

ceramics were unknown,

and it was difficult

to transport water.

We are ascending toward the high area

of the monument.

We have passed

three rectangular plazas.

Here we find a depressed circular plaza,

very characteristic

of the Early Formative Period,

where these peoples performed

their ritual ceremonies.

Here is the end of the plazas

and we can see a stairway

to the various platforms.

We have three platforms,

on top of which truncated pyramids

have been built.

Here we are,

in one of the truncated pyramids,

on the south side of

the Las Haldas building.

We can see a stairway

with large stones,

but also a very curious wall.

This wall has been constructed

in a different way

than other cultures.

There are large stones,

vertically placed,

and smaller stones

surrounding them

so as to form

a very peculiar wall.

We are in a fourth plaza,

and we can observe

the three plazas

that we have just visited.

The first one, the farthest,

is at a lower level,

there is an intermediate level,

and a higher level.

This wall is very interesting

due to its form,

the stones,

how they have been selected,

large, medium, and small,

and they have used mortar

to make possible the building

of a very solid wall.

We must remember that this wall

is about 4000 years old.

We can imagine

that in this entire building,

which is very large,

all the walls were built

in this way.

We are now on the fifth platform,

and the stairway continues to ascend

until we reach the highest level.

This is the central, main area,

where the great chiefs resided

the great priests,

who were the political and military chiefs.

We are on the fifth platform.

We can observe truncated pyramids

on both sides,

which rise over the plane

forming a U-shaped building,

characteristic of the Formative Period.

We are now in the sixth platform.

We have a panoramic view

of the building.

We can see the great plazas below

and the orientation of the building

toward the northeast.

We are in the final part

of the building

at the highest level,

in the last stage of the stairway

which is limited by these walls

that are very well preserved,

given their 4000 years of age.

Finally, we reach the highest level

of the Las Haldas archaeological site,

which is facing the sea.

Here we can observe

the remains of the temple,

in the center of this building,

where the political, military

and religious chiefs resided.

Here is the base of a wall,

which is very important

because it is the limit

between the building and the sea.

Over this base

the important wall was built,

which is the subject of research

and reconstruction

to find its functionality.

Evidently, the site

was very important as a limit.

It is worth to mention

that the research on this site

has been performed

by several archaeologists.

A leader among them is

the Casma archaeologist

Rosa Fung Pineda,

who carried out her studies in 1958.

With this study,

she obtained her doctorate degree,

and she was later a professor

at the University of San Marcos.

Later, a Japanese Mission

worked on the site, around 1960.

We should place value on our past,

aiming first to preserve it

secondly, more research

and finally,

to give it its proper value,

so that the entire world

can appreciate this architectural

and cultural beauty,

which dates back

4000 to 5000 years ago.

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