Early Andean
Peru's pre-Inca temple builders
Early Andean3,500 BCE – 200 BCE
01
The Vertical World
desert coast, frozen peaks, and why the Andes bred civilization differently
7000–3500 BCE
02
First Temples on the Coast
cotton, fishing nets, and monumental mounds before pottery
3500–2800 BCE
03
Caral: City Without War
the Americas' oldest city — no walls, no weapons, just pyramids
2800–1800 BCE
04
After Caral: The Initial Period
Caral's collapse and the spread of temple-building cultures
1800–1200 BCE
05
U-Shaped Worlds
sunken plazas, oracle priests, and the U-shaped temple tradition
1200–900 BCE
06
Chavín de Huántar
a mountain temple that unified the Andes through ritual and art
900–600 BCE
07
The Chavín Horizon
Chavin's jaguars, psychedelics, and the first pan-Andean style
600–400 BCE
08
Paracas and the Horizon's End
skull surgery, embroidered mantles, and the Nazca Lines' ancestors
500–200 BCE