Apurlec Archaeological Site

A Monumental Urban Center. Adobe pyramids, civic squares, residential blocks, ceremonial fora, and planting fields were left behind in Apurlec, one of the largest pre-Columbian settlements in the Americas.
1998 World Monuments Watch CatalogueOne of the Americas' Largest Pre-Columbian Settlements
Adobe pyramids, civic squares, residential blocks, ceremonial fora, and planting fields were left behind in Apurlec, one of the largest pre-Columbian settlements in the Americas. The city was developed over a 500-square-kilometer range by the Lambayeque and Chimú cultures, and their monuments and tombs speak of a culture that had a grasp of art and technology unknown elsewhere in the world. A vast and complicated irrigation system (still visible) enabled the inhabitants to turn fallow desert terrain into fertile agricultural land.
Since 1981, the Bruning Museum has worked diligently to document and protect the site and raise public awareness. But because of Apurlec's remoteness, government agencies in charge of looking after national monuments have largely ignored it. The site is neglected, facing problems with encroachment and looting (an issue at archaeological sites throughout Peru). Preservation depends on conducting a general site survey, creating a greater awareness of Apurlec, and initiating legal action against unscrupulous land dealers.

A National Heritage
After being listed on the 1998 World Monuments Watch, Apurlec was added to Peru's land registry, preventing commercial development, and was later designated a site of Peruvian national cultural heritage.
According to news sources, as of January 2015, around six hectares of the archaeological site had been destroyed by encroaching agricultural areas and heavy machinery. Insufficient funds for site management is an ongoing issue for the area.
