The Battle of Caral Basin (c. 1900 BCE) highlighted early Andean communities fighting over river terraces carved into desert hills. Defenders from Caral lined stone platforms above the basin with reed shields and stone-tipped spears, protecting irrigation channels that fed their crops. Rival valley groups rushed up loose gravel slopes, struggling to maintain footing under volleys of slingstones. Each terrace acted as a new defensive line, forcing attackers to climb again and again under fire. Th