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By the time the Incas arrived in Peru and Manco Capac founded Cusco around 1200 ACE, humans had been living along the coastline for thousands of years weaving cotton and planting corn, squash and beans since before 3,000 BCE. The oldest of the high Andean cultures was the Chavin culture which lasted from around 1200 to 200 BCE. The capital of the Chavin ancient culture was Chavin de Huantar, a central Andes city built of stone in a narrow valley. Other cultures that developed over time included the Paracas, Moche, Nazca, Huari and Chimu. The Paracas culture (1100 to 200 BCE) was renown for its textile weavings; while, the Moche culture (200 BCE to 700 ACE) was a caste orientated society with highly skilled craftsmen. The Nazca culture (400 BCE to 600 ACE) was renown for its mysterious desert plateau drawings. The Huari culture (200 to 600 ACE) was a warrior society. Huari polychromatic pottery had austere and stylized religious imagery. The Chimu culture (1000 to 1470 ACE) had irrigated gardens and step pyramids. From their capital at Chan Chan, the Chimu ruled over 600 miles of the Peruvian coastline. Peruvian cultural timelines vary somewhat today depending on the archaeologist, historian, chronicler or scholar.
A relative chronological time line used by archaeologists for the ancient Peruvian cultures was: Initial Period (1000 to 700 BCE), Early Horizon Period (700 BCE to 1 ACE), Early Intermediate Period (1 to 650 ACE), Middle Horizon Period (650 to 1000 ACE), Late Intermediate Period (1000 to 1450 ACE) and the Late Horizon Period (1450 to 1532 ACE).
Since none of the ancient Peruvian cultures kept written records, much of the information obtained regarding the ancient Peruvian cultures came from archaeological sites, graves, graphically illustrated ceramics, stylized metalwork and stone sculptures. Much of the ancient Peruvian cultural past remains steeped in conjecture and mystery. There was a lot of data available on the Incas that was compiled by the Spanish who conquered them in 1533 ACE; but, like Roman accounts on the Celts, the data was written from the perspective of the usurper, vanquishers, reconnoiters, recyclers and requisitionists. One thing we do know regarding the Incas was that they were great organizers who assimilated and amalgamated the cultural inheritances of the Peruvian peoples they defeated.
The Peruvian Art Cultures have
been placed into the following timeframes: the Preclassic Period from 1200 to
200 BCE which included the Chavin and Paracas; the Classic Period from 200 BCE
to 1000 ACE which included the Moche, Nazca, Tiahuanacu and Huari; and, the Post
Classic Period from 1000 to 1470 ACE which included the Chimu and the Inca.
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Peru Peruvian Background Beliefs ArticlesAncient Roots, Animal Totem Llama, Apointi, Archaeological Findings, Atahualpa, Atlantean Altiplano, Calendar Gate, Castillo, Chan Chan, Chan Chan Pelican Carvings, Chasca, Chavin Culture, Chavin de Huantar, Chimu Culture, Classic Period, Corihuayrachina, Cota Coca, Cusco, Cusco Valley, Early Horizon Period, Early Intermediate Period, Effigy Pots, Gate of Sun Portal, Geoglyphs, Hanan Pacha, Huacas, Huari Culture, Ilya-Tiqsi Wiraqoca Pacayacaiq, Inca Culture, Inca Mummies, Inca Trail, Initial Period, Island of the Sun, Kalasasaya Stone Steps, Lake Titicaca, Late Horizon Period, Late Intermediate Period, Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu Depiction, Mamacocha, Mama Quilla, Manco Capac, Middle Horizon Period, Mina Perdida, Moche Culture, Moche Pottery, Mount Ampato, Mount Huayna Picchu, Nasca Culture, Nasca Lines Dog Figure, Nature Spirits, Navel of the World, Pacahaca, Pacamama, Paracas Culture, Paracas Necropolis, Peruvian Art Cultures, Peruvian Periods, Post Classic Period, Preclassic Period, Precolumbian Mound, Puma Punku, Sacsayhuaman, Shamanic Intihuatana Stone, Spiritual Beliefs, Storytellers, Tawantinsuyu, Temple Three Windows, Tiahuanaco, Tiahuanacu Culture, Tupa Inca Tunic, Uros Floating Island, Urubamba Valley, Vairacochas, Vilcabamba Ruins, Vira Cocha, Winay Wayna Ruins, Work Tax Mita |
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