Peru

Archaeology in the South American country of Peru has an extensive history that has uncovered the development of the largest native state to evolve in the Western Hemisphere, the Inca. The material representations of the Inca include monumental architecture, and ceramics and metallurgy craftwork from nearly a dozen separate and distinct cultures, each with their own history in half a dozen countries, all of which eventually came to be ruled by the Inca.

To uncover the prehistoric development of Peru, extensive cultural and archaeological research has been undertaken. The father of archaeology in South America is Max Uhle. Uhle has more time and research devoted to South American archaeology than any of his counterparts and was the first archaeologist [Page 1852]to embark on significant excavations in Peru. Contributions by other pioneering archaeologists like John H. Rowe, Walter Alva, and Julio Tello have helped to decipher the chronology of the region. They have also contributed to a prevailing attitude of cultural pride and patrimony, which has further enabled the exploration and interpretation of the rich history of Peruvian culture. This movement has led to native peoples' retention and retrieval of many of the collected artifacts. Today there is an international moratorium on the sale of pre-Columbia art that, if violated, can include incarceration and financial penalties.

Despite the renowned accomplishments of the Incas, they were not the first complex civilization of the region as their creation myth suggests. For example, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the Tiwanaku culture flourished before the Inca found their capital in ruins. An obvious predecessor in specialized craftwork, Tiwanaku was home to monumental stelae or carved stone. Pachacamac at the mouth of the Rio Lurin and Chan, and the Chimor capital at the mouth of the Rio Moche, were also great cities the Incas could not claim. However, they all have cultural beginnings that reach back to the initial peopling of the continent. The oldest archaeological site in the region is Monte Verde. It is dated to 12,500 RC (14,800 BP). However, these dates are highly contested. If they are correct it would mean the human occupation of South America is pre-Clovis. There are more than a dozen dates from this site and evidence of a successful hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Though Monte Verde is not fully accepted by the scientific community, there is a well-established chronology for development after the initial inhabitation of the continent.

Source: © iStockphoto/Dan Brandenburg.