Ancient Andes

Colorful geometric textile pattern with red, beige, green, and blue motifs.

Monumental geoglyphs, ancient cities, beautiful textiles, and masterful stonework—dive into the history of the Ancient Andes

Prehistoric Period
Paracas
Moche
Lambayeque
Tiwanaku
Chavín
Nazca
Wari
Chimú
Inka

What is the Ancient Andes?

The ancient Andes refers to Indigenous societies that flourished in the region of the Andes Mountain range, including parts of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina

Timeline diagram of Peruvian cultures, from Prehistoric to Early Intermediate periods. Includes Caral, Cupisnique, Chavín, and Nazca cultures.
Timeline of historical periods: Middle Horizon (600–1000 CE, Tiwanaku), Late Intermediate (1000–1476 CE, Chimú), Late Horizon (1476–1534 CE, Inka), Colonial/Viceregal (1534–1820 CE, Viceroyalty of Peru).

Early Andes

Get to know the vibrant ancient cultures that flourished in the early Andes during the prehistoric, Formative, and Early Horizon periods

The Prehistoric Period

Includes periods often referred to as the Lithic and Preceramic

Ancient handprint cave art on a rock wall.

VIDEO: Cueva de los Manos (Cave of the Hands) in Argentina

Learn more about the Prehistoric Era

The Formative, Early Horizon, and Early Intermediate Periods

c. 1800 BCE–600 BCE

Many cultures, from Chavín to the Nazca, flourished during this time

Chavín

c. 1200–200 BCE

Chavín culture developed in the northern Andean highlands of Peru, and the site of Chavín de Huántar was an important pilgrimage destination

A hammered gold plaque showing a complicated pattern revealing a figure holding staffs

VIDEO: Chavín Staff God

Paracas

c. 700–200 BCE

Paracas culture thrived on the arid southern coast of Peru, where incredible textiles have survived in tombs

A colorful, patterned textile with rows of stylized figures resembling animals or mythical creatures, arranged in a grid-like pattern on a green background, bordered by a decorative yellow strip with additional figures.

Nazca

c. 200 BCE–600 CE

Overlapping for a period with the earlier Paracas culture, Nazca likewise thrived on the arid southern coast of Peru where they produced colorful ceramics and the massive geoglyphs known as the Nazca Lines

the form a hummingbird is etched into the surface of the Nazca Desert

VIDEO: What is a geoglyph?

Learn more about Nazca Culture
Monkey nazca line geoglyph

VIDEO: Nazca Lines

Decorative ceramic vessel with a painted design depicting a mischievous character with a red face, holding utensils, and surrounded by abstract shapes and lines in red, black, and beige colors.

VIDEO: What are double spout and bridge vessels? Nazca Ceramics

Moche

detail of a vessel in a museum that has a naturalistic human face

Later Andes (Middle Horizon, Late Intermediate, and Late Horizon)

c. 600–1534 CE

Get to know the cultures of later periods in the Andes during the Middle Horizon, Late Intermediate, and Late Horizon periods

Lambayeque

A golden beaker stands in a museum case

Wari

A colorful mosaic shows a face surrounded by stylized snakes on a mirror

Tiwanaku

Illustration of ancient artifacts, including a column, face, shell, and helmet, with the text 'Coming Soon' in the center on a blue and green background.

Chimú

Illustration of ancient artifacts, including a column, face, shell, and helmet, with the text 'Coming Soon' in the center on a blue and green background.
Spondylus Shell Pendant

The Inka

The Inka (Inca) civilization had advanced engineering, monumental architecture at places like Machu Picchu, and sophisticated systems for agriculture and governance.

A small gold figurine of a llama on display.
A vessel is covered in designs and has a pointed base

VIDEO: Urpus

Illustration of ancient artifacts, including a column, face, shell, and helmet, with the text 'Coming Soon' in the center on a blue and green background.

COMING SOON: Khipus (Quipus)

Illustration of ancient artifacts, including a column, face, shell, and helmet, with the text 'Coming Soon' in the center on a blue and green background.

COMING SOON: Who is Atahualpa?

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