Ciudad Madre

Caral, America’s Oldest Civilization

Caral, America''s oldest civilization, flourished five thousand years ago along the Peruvian coast. Its principal product, cotton, was the foundation of an economy based on trade with nearby fishermen settlements. Industrious, intelligent and eminently peaceful, the people of Caral did not use war as an instrument of conquest.

Instead, their elaborate complex of pyramids and other structures are a shining example of perfect urban planning. The discovery of Caral fascinated and motivated me to write Mother City, a tale in which I''ve attempted to weave historically accurate information with imaginary details of Caral's citizens' daily life.