Archaeologists at the ancient city of Caral, the oldest known civilization in the Americas, have discovered a subterranean pit containing 32 ritual whistles fashioned from pelican and condor bones. The instruments are intricately carved with figures of monkeys and birds, indicating a high level of craftsmanship and cross-regional trade at a very early date.
The location of the cache in the Great Circular Plaza suggests these instruments were part of massive communal gatherings. This find pushes back the known origins of organized sound-based festivals in the Andean region, suggesting that the Norte Chico civilization used musical performance as a primary tool for social cohesion and seasonal worship long before the arrival of the Inca.