▁type ▁were ▁found ▁at ▁An c ón , ▁ 4 0 ▁kilometres ▁n ortheast ▁of ▁Lima ▁in ▁the ▁Ch ill ón ▁River ▁Valley . ▁ ▁The ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 - year - old ▁ru ins ▁known ▁as ▁El ▁Para í so ▁are ▁also ▁located ▁in ▁this ▁area . ▁A ▁temple ▁at ▁the ▁site ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁about ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁old . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁a ▁team ▁of ▁ar che ological ▁research ers ▁led ▁by ▁Robert ▁Ben fer ▁announced ▁their ▁find ings ▁from ▁a ▁four - year ▁exc av ation ▁at ▁Bu ena ▁V ista ▁in ▁the ▁Ch ill ón ▁River ▁valley ▁a ▁few ▁kilometres ▁north ▁of ▁present - day ▁Lima . ▁They ▁had ▁discovered ▁a ▁ 4 2 0 0 - year - old ▁observ atory ▁constructed ▁by ▁an ▁early ▁And e an ▁civil ization , ▁a ▁three - dimensional ▁sculpt ure , ▁unique ▁for ▁the ▁time ▁period ▁in ▁this ▁region , ▁and ▁s oph istic ated ▁car v ings . ▁The ▁observ atory ▁is ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁a ▁ 1 0 - meter ▁py ram idal ▁m ound ▁and ▁has ▁architect ural ▁features ▁for ▁sight ing ▁the ▁astronom ical ▁sol st ices . ▁The ▁discovery ▁push es ▁back ▁the ▁time ▁for ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁complex ▁civil isation ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁and ▁has ▁alter ed ▁sch ol ars ' ▁understanding ▁of ▁Pre cer am ic ▁period ▁cult ures ▁in ▁Peru . ▁ ▁The ▁Lima ▁culture ▁( 1 0 0