Definition:
Chilca is the name of an early Archaic period site located on the Peruvian coast about 70 kilometers south of Lima. The site is a small settlement consisting of the remains of a handful of semi-subterranean (cut into the ground) huts, a shell midden, and a cemetery.
Radiocarbon dates from a hut at Chilca revealed that the site was occupied about 5700 years ago. Archaeologists associated with Chilca include Santiago Bald Agurto and Frederic Engel.
Sources
This article is a part of the About.com Guide to Archaic Period, and part of the Dictionary of Archaeology.
