Pre-Columbian Peru facts for kids

Peruvian land was home to people as far back as 14,000 years ago. These early people were hunters and gatherers, moving around to find food. Over time, they learned to settle down and farm. They also developed amazing ways to water their crops and built complex societies. These groups created advanced civilizations, new technologies, and huge buildings.

Ancient Cultures of Peru

The history of Peru is rich with many different cultures that grew and thrived over thousands of years. These groups developed amazing skills in farming, working with gold and silver, making pottery, and weaving textiles. Many of the ideas and social structures that later formed the powerful Inca Empire can be traced back to these earlier cultures.

Early Stone Age People

Some of the oldest signs of people in Peru are stone tools found in caves like Pikimachay, Chivateros, Lauricocha, Paiján, and Toquepala. These tools show us how early people lived.

The very oldest confirmed human remains in Peru date back to about 10,000 BCE. They were found in the Guitarrero Cave in Yungay Province. Later evidence also comes from the coast near Chilca and Paracas, and in the highlands of the Callejón de Huaylas.

Farming and Settling Down

Around 7,000 BCE, people started to settle in one place. This means they became "sedentary." They began to grow plants like gourds and cotton. These first crops were mostly used for fishing. Cotton was used to make nets and lines, and gourds were used as floats.

Larger and more complex societies began to form around 3,000 BCE. This time is called the Cotton Preceramic Period. These early groups mainly gathered food from the sea. They did not rely on corn (maize) as much as later civilizations did.

Later, people learned new ways to spin and knit cotton and wool. They also made baskets and even some gold beads. Pottery making started in the Amazon basin and spread to the Andes about 4,000 years ago. This led to a period called the Initial or Ceramic period.

Corn became a very important crop. It helped populations grow because it could feed many people. Because farming became so important, more people moved from the coasts to river valleys.

Amazing Ancient Achievements

Many ancient sites show how advanced these early cultures were:

• In the Zaña Valley in northern Peru, irrigation canals have been found that are 5,400 to 6,700 years old. These canals show that people worked together to build big projects.
• A special carving (frieze) at the Sechin Bajo site is from about 3,600 BCE. It is the oldest monument found in Peru.
• The Norte Chico civilization (also known as the Caral-Supe civilization) existed from about 3,500 BCE to 1,800 BCE.
• El Paraíso, Peru was a large settlement in the Lima region from 3,500 to 1,800 BCE.
• At Buena Vista, Peru in the Lima Region, a 4,200-year-old observatory was found. People used it to study the stars.
• Ventarrón in the Lambayeque Region has a 4,000-year-old temple.

Later Powerful Cultures

After these early groups, many other important cultures developed:

• Cupisnique culture (1500-1000 BCE)
• Chavín (900 BCE to 200 BCE)
• Paracas
• Moche
• Nazca
• Tiahuanaco
• Wari
• Chimú

Archaeological Discoveries

In 2011, archaeologists led by Gabriel Prieto made an incredible discovery. They found the largest mass child sacrifice site ever known. It belonged to the Chimú culture. More than 140 child skeletons and 200 llama skeletons were found.

Researchers found cut marks on the breastbones of some children and llamas. This suggests their chests were opened, possibly to remove their hearts. The children's faces were covered with a red paint during the ceremony. The remains also showed that these children came from different areas. When the children and llamas were sacrificed, the area was very wet, perhaps from rain or a flood.

Anthropologist Ryan Williams explained that the Chimú people had very different beliefs about life and death than we do today. He suggested that perhaps the victims went willingly, believing they were messengers to their gods. Or, the Chimú society might have thought this was the only way to save more people from disaster.

Gallery

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  The Stele from the Chavín Culture, Ancash, Peru

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  Moche pottery, Lambayeque, Peru

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  The Tiahuanaco Gate of the Sun, Bolivia

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  Polychrome, fish-shaped, nazca double spout and bridge vessel, Ica, Peru

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  The Lord of Sipán

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  Chan Chan

Images for kids

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  A timeline showing ancient cultures in Peruvian history.