LIMA, July 3 (Reuters) - Archaeologists on Thursday

unveiled a 3,500-year-old city in Peru that likely served as a

trading hub linking Pacific coast cultures with those in the

Andes and Amazon ( AMZN ), flourishing around the same time as early

civilizations in the Middle East and Asia.

Drone footage released by researchers shows the city center

is marked by a circular structure on a hillside terrace, with

remains of stone and mud buildings constructed some 600 meters

(1,970 feet) above sea level.

The urban center, named Peñico, is located in the northern

Barranca province and was founded between 1,800 and 1,500 BC. It

is close to where the Caral civilization, the oldest in the

Americas, developed 5,000 years ago.

Caral, comprised of 32 monumental structures, is considered

a contemporary of civilizations in Egypt, India, Sumeria and

China. However, unlike them, it developed in complete isolation,

according to researchers.

Ruth Shady, the archaeologist who led the research into

Peñico, said the newly unveiled city is key because experts

believe it emerged after the Caral civilization was devastated

by climate change.

"They were situated in a strategic location for trade, for

exchange with societies from the coast, the highlands and the

jungle," Shady said.

Archaeologist Marco Machacuay, a researcher with the

Ministry of Culture, said at a news conference that Peñico's

importance lies in it being the continuation of the Caral

society.

After eight years of studies, researchers have identified up

to 18 structures in Penico, including ceremonial temples and

residential complexes.

The walls of a central plaza stand out for their sculptural

reliefs and depictions of the pututu, a conch shell trumpet

whose sound carries over long distances.

In other buildings, researchers found clay sculptures of

human and animal figures, ceremonial objects and necklaces made

from beads and seashells, they added.

Peru is a center of ancient cultures and home to

archaeological sites such as the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in

Cusco and the mysterious Nazca lines located in the desert

region along the country's central coast.