The Zaña River (also Saña River ) is a small river in northern Peru . The river is 119 kilometres (74 miles) in length and begins in the Andes of Cajamarca Region and ends at the Pacific Ocean in Lambayeque Region. In the lower part of the river valley, where the river flows through the coastal desert of Peru, the cultivation of irrigated crops is extensive and the Zaña is usually dry near its mouth. Upriver, at higher elevations in the Andes, precipitation is much greater and downstream floods are common. One such flood wiped out the important city of Zaña in 1720. Zaña has been rebuilt, but has never regained its former prominence as an urban center. Other towns in the lower valley are Mocupe, Cayalti , Nueva Arica , and Oyotun .
16-514: The most distant source of the Zaña River is at an elevation of 3,750 metres (12,300 ft) at coordinates 6.998° S latitude and 78.83° W longitude. The village of Udima is near the source of the river. The semi-tropical forests found at elevations above 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) in the upper parts of the Zaña basin are an unusual feature of the river. The existence of the forests is due to
32-514: A 4,000-year-old Peruvian temple in Ventarron . The murals, showing a deer caught in a net, are considered the oldest murals in the Americas. Alva determined their age by the process of carbon dating . The construction material that was used at the temple was not primitive. As a result, Alva was able to show that the civilization was able to spread farther than originally thought. He worked on
48-490: A Csll climate (sub-tropical, dry summer, mild temperatures in every month) in the Trewartha climate classification system. Average maximum daily temperatures vary only about 2 degrees C (4 degrees F) between the warmest and coldest months. Precipitation is greatest from February through April. June to September are dry months. The archaeological site of Poro Poro is located about 8 km (5.0 miles) northeast of Udima near
64-691: A group of three pyramids once thought to belong to the later Chimú culture , were a part of Moche culture . The findings were later described by the National Geographic Society as the richest intact pre-Columbian tomb in the Western Hemisphere. During many of these years, Alva was the director of the Bruning Archaeological Museum in Lambayeque, Peru . In 2007, Alva discovered murals at
80-637: Is a Peruvian archaeologist specializing in the study and excavation of the prehistoric Moche culture . He is known for two major finds: the tomb of the Lord of Sipan and related people in 1987, and 2007. Alva was born on 28 June 1951 in Contumazá Province . He earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in archaeology . Alva has worked for years at the Bruning Archeological Museum in Lambayeque, Peru . He advanced to
96-655: Is a village in Catache District of Santa Cruz Province in the Department of Cajamarca , Peru . In 2017, Udima had a population of 696. Located in the Andes mountains, Udima has an elevation of about 2,365 m (7,759 ft) according to Google Earth . The village is adjacent to the Bosques Nublados de Udima (Cloud Forests of Udima) Wildlife Refuge Udima is located on the headwaters of one of
112-480: The Chavin culture (900 to 200 BCE), is 56 metres (184 ft) long and 40 metres (130 ft) wide and built of large stones which were dragged from a long distance to the temple site. The temple is believed by Alva to be part of a larger complex. Udima 6°49′N 79°05′W / 6.81°N 79.09°W / 6.81; -79.09 Udima (formerly known as Hacienda Udima and Udima Ayacos )
128-655: The Amazon to also flourish on the western side of the Andes. This unique biosystem is protected in the Bosques Nublados de Udima Wildlife Refuge. Sub-tropical forests with many Amazonian species found in the refuge at elevations of 2,000 m (6,600 ft) and higher on the western slopes of the Andes. Udima has a highland Csb climate (sub-tropical, dry and mild summers) in the Köppen climate classification system and
144-598: The Iglesias family sold the Hacienda Udima, consisting of 40,000 ha (99,000 acres), to the "Widow of Piedra and children." In the 1970s and 1980s the government's agrarian reform program distributed much of the land belonging to the hacienda to 512 resident farmers who formed a cooperative. Most of the land has since been converted into privately owned, small and medium-sized farms. Walter Alva Walter Alva (born 28 June 1951), born Walter Alva Alva ,
160-434: The hamlet of the same name (also known as La Grada). Archaeologist Walter Alva first excavated the ruin in 1979 and dated it to the pre- Chavin era about 1,500 BCE. The extensive site features rocks carved into "pulpits and "thrones," monumental columns, a sunken plaza, and subterranean canals. In the 19th century, Udima was part of the extensive estate of Miguel Iglesias (1830–1909) who became President of Peru. In 1920,
176-509: The headwaters of the Zaña. From the lands in the reserved zone, the Bosques Nublados de Udima Wildlife Refuge (Cloud Forests of Udima Wildlife Refuge) with an area of 12,183 hectares (30,100 acres) was created in 2011. Numerous pre-Columbian ruins are scattered throughout the basin of the Zaña River. Near the Nanchoc river, a tributary of the Zaňa, archaeologist Tom Dillehay has found what may be
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#1732775999464192-506: The oldest irrigation canals in the Americas, radiocarbon dated to at least 3400 BCE and possibly as old as 4700 BCE. The canals built by the people of Nanchoc at that time were utilized to irrigate crops such as peanuts , squash , manioc , and chenopods , a relative of Quinoa . In 2019, Peruvian archaeologist Walter Alva discovered the ruins of a megalithic temple in the Zaña Valley near Oyotun. The temple, apparently belonging to
208-400: The post of director there. In 1987, Alva was called by police to investigate a site at Sipán , where huaqueros (grave robbers) had stolen artifacts from an archaeological site. Despite being ill with bronchitis , he made the trip. The robbers had discovered a crypt of a lord, filled with jewels and gold, and Alva knew it was significant. Alva did most of the excavating without delay, as he
224-498: The relatively low elevations of the Andes in this region between the desert coasts of western Peru and the rainforests of the Amazon Basin of the east. Plant and animal species characteristic of the Amazon are found here on the western slopes of the Andes. The Peruvian government recognized the uniqueness of the forests in 2010 by creating the "Reserved Zone of Udima" consisting of 30,503 hectares (75,370 acres) of land overlooking
240-604: The tributaries of the Zaña River which flows to the Pacific Ocean . The Andes rise only to relatively low elevations near Udima. In most areas of Peru the cold, dry temperatures of the high Andes result in different species of flora and fauna in the humid, tropical Amazon rainforest to the east and the much drier western slopes of the Andes. The low elevations in the Udima region allow plants and animals characteristic of
256-415: Was concerned that robbers might come back and cause more damage. As a result, he started digging without any funding or the support of the area police, with matters made worse as the result of the primary robber being killed by police. After further digging, Alva found, among other things, the undamaged body of a Moche lord. From these finds, he and other scholars were able to determine that Huaca Rajada ,
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