July 2025 marks an important milestone in the preservation of Peru’s cultural heritage. The archaeological site of Pernico, located in the Ica Region, was officially opened to the public after years of restoration and verification. The archaeological site is considered to be the most representative religious and agricultural settlement on the south coast around 1000 BC, revealing the early development of Peru’s pre-Inca civilization and providing key information for the world to understand the evolution of Andean civilization.
The opening ceremony took place on the 13th of this month and was presided over by Peruvian Minister of Culture Leslie Urteaga, with representatives of the regional government of Ica, archaeologists, representatives of international cultural heritage organizations, and local communities witnessing this historic moment. In his speech, Minister Urteaga said: “Penico is a treasure of civilization left by our ancestors, which belongs not only to Peru, but also to all humanity. Its opening means that Peru has taken an important step in cultural heritage and public education.”
The initial discovery of the Pernico site dates back to the 1980s, but due to the technical constraints and lack of resources at the time, its systematic excavation and preservation were not gradually launched until the beginning of the 21st century. In 2021 onwards, the Peruvian archaeology and restoration team, led by the Ministry of Culture, formally initiated a large-scale research program in collaboration with several domestic and foreign universities and research institutes to conduct a detailed analysis of the structure of the site, the stratigraphy, and the excavations. The site’s structure, stratigraphy, and excavations were carefully analyzed. According to the latest evidence, the site of Penico covers an area of more than 40 hectares, and its main remains include stone temples, ceremonial plazas, adobe complexes, granary systems, and some well-preserved geometric patterns on the ground.
Pottery, bone needles, spinning wheels, and jade jewelry unearthed at the site indicate that the area had a complex social structure and division of labor in early times. The human bones and animal remains found near some of the altars also provide important evidence for scholars to study religious rituals and sacrificial traditions in the early Andean region.
The significance of Penico’s research is not only to reveal an ancient social form, but also to provide clues to our understanding of later cultures such as the Paracas and Nazca,” said Dr. José Morales, the chief archaeologist in charge of the project. In particular, Penico demonstrates a high degree of organization and regional influence in terms of irrigated agriculture, belief systems, and spatial layout.”
In addition to its archaeological value, the Penico project has become a model for the development of cultural tourism in Peru. The Ministry of Culture is investing more than 4 million soles (about $1 million) in site protection, visitor infrastructure, and community partnership model development. To balance conservation and public access, the project team built elevated walkways, a digital interpretation system, and a new visitor center on site. The center is equipped with a multimedia exhibition hall, a virtual reality experience area, and volunteer-guided tours to give visitors a comprehensive understanding of the site’s history and archaeological progress.
The Ministry of Culture also highlighted the opening as an example of “sustainable cultural tourism”. By working with the local community to provide job training, guided tours, and handicraft sales opportunities, the Penico project allows residents to become a real part of the site’s preservation and operation, thus realizing the dual goals of cultural heritage and economic development.
It is reported that the site of Penico is currently open from Tuesday to Sunday. Tourists can book tickets online through the official website of the Peruvian Ministry of Culture or the cultural tourism platform Cultura Perú, the system supports Spanish, English, and Quechua guided tours. To ensure the safety of the artifacts and the order of the tourists, the site has a maximum number of visitors per day and a control mechanism for the time of admission, which is subject to a brief security check and explanation before entering the site.
The opening of the site quickly attracted national and international attention. Representatives of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) spoke highly of the project and indicated that the site of Penico would be included in the next round of the World Heritage List. The internationally renowned archaeological journal Latin American Antiquity will also publish a special report on the systematic study of Penico shortly.
In addition, the project has cooperated with several Peruvian universities to carry out field schools, cultural education courses, and youth volunteer activities, making Penico not only a tourist destination but also an active academic and cultural center.
The experts pointed out that, in a context where climate change and urban expansion pose a threat to cultural heritage, the successful opening of the Penico project demonstrates Peru’s responsibility and institutional progress in the field of cultural preservation, and provides a lesson that can be drawn on for other countries in Latin America. As Minister Urteaga said, “The future of a country should not be at the expense of forgetting. Everything we do is to keep the memory alive.”
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