The Norte Chico civilization, also called the Caral-Supe civilization, developed along the north-central coast of Peru between approximately 3000 and 1800 BCE. Centered in the Supe Valley and neighboring river valleys, it produced monumental architecture including platform mounds and sunken circular plazas without developing ceramics or a writing system. The site of Caral, covering roughly 600,000 square meters, contains six pyramids and extensive residential areas. Norte Chico represents one of the earliest complex societies in the Western Hemisphere.