Archaeologists working in the Andes traditionally divide the cultural development of Peruvian civilization in 12 periods, from the Preceramic period (ca 9500 BC) until the Late Horizon and the Spanish conquest (AD 1534).
This sequence was initially created by archeologists John H. Rowe and Edward Lanning and it was based on the ceramic style and radiocarbon dates from the Ica Valley of the South Coast of Peru, and later extended to the whole region.
The Preceramic Period (before 9500–1800 BC), literally, the period before pottery was invented, spans from the first arrival of humans in South America, whose date is still debated, until the first use of ceramic vessels.
The following eras of ancient Peru (1800 BC-AD 1534) have been defined by archaeologists using an alternation of so-called “periods” and “horizons” which end with the arrival of the Europeans. The term “Periods” indicates a timeframe in which independent ceramic and art styles werewidespread across the region. The term “Horizons” defines, in contrast, periods in which a specific cultural traditions managed to unify the whole region.
Details of the Andean Timeline
- Preceramic Period in the Andes (9500-1800 BC)
- Initial Period through Late Horizon (1800 BC-AD 1634)