Cultural periods of Peru

This is a chart of cultural periods of Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

  and the Andean Region developed by Edward Lanning and used by some archaeologists studying the area. An alternative dating system was developed by Luis Lumbreras and provides different dates for some archaeological finds.

Most of the cultures of the Late Horizon and some of the cultures of the Late Intermediate joined the Inca empire

Inca Empire

The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...

 by 1493, but the period ends in 1534 because that marks the fall of the Inca empire after the Spanish conquest. Most of the cut-off years mark either an end of a severe drought or the beginning of one. These marked a shift of the most productive farming to or from the mountains, and tended to mark the end of one culture and the rise of another.

The more recent findings concerning the Norte Chico civilization

Norte Chico civilization

The Norte Chico civilization was a complex pre-Columbian society that included as many as 30 major population centers in what is now the Norte Chico region of north-central coastal Peru...

 are not included on this list, as it was compiled before the site at Caral was investigated in detail.

Period	Dates	Cultures
Ceramic
Late Horizon	1476 CE – 1534 CE	Inca
Late Intermediate	1000 CE – 1476 CE	Chimú, Chincha Chincha The Chincha were a Native American people of the Andes. They are discussed by Maria Rostworowski de Diez Canseco in "History of the Inca Realm" and by Justo Caceres Macedo in "Prehispanic Cultures of Peru"... , Cajamarca, Piura, Chancay Chancay Chancay is a small city in the Lima Region of Peru. Its population is 26,958.... , Chachapoyas Chachapoyas culture The Chachapoyas, also called the Warriors of the Clouds, were an Andean people living in the cloud forests of the Amazonas region of present-day Peru. The Incas conquered their civilization shortly before the arrival of the Spanish in Peru. When the Spanish arrived in Peru in the 16th century, the... , Chincha Chincha The Chincha were a Native American people of the Andes. They are discussed by Maria Rostworowski de Diez Canseco in "History of the Inca Realm" and by Justo Caceres Macedo in "Prehispanic Cultures of Peru"... , Chiribaya Chimor Chimor was the political grouping of the Chimú culture that ruled the northern coast of Peru, beginning around 850 AD and ending around 1470 AD. Chimor was the largest kingdom in the Late Intermediate period, encompassing 1,000 km of coastline... , Chucuito, Huaman Huilca, Ilo Ilo Ilo is a port city in southern Peru, with some 58,000 inhabitants. It is the largest city in the Moquegua Region and capital of the province of Ilo.-History:... , Qotu Qotu, Pacacocha, Palli Marca, Piura, Sican Chimor Chimor was the political grouping of the Chimú culture that ruled the northern coast of Peru, beginning around 850 AD and ending around 1470 AD. Chimor was the largest kingdom in the Late Intermediate period, encompassing 1,000 km of coastline... , Tajaraca, Huaylas Huaylas Huaylas may refer to the following:*Huaylas Province - a province in the Ancash Region in Central Perú*Huaylas District - a district in the Huaylas Province*Huaylas - a town in the Huaylas District... , Conchucos, Huamachuco, Rucanas, Chanka, Aymara nations, Ayabaca Ayabaca Ayabaca is a town located in the highlands of the Piura Region in northwestern Peru. It is located in the Ayabaca Province and is capital of that province. The town is located at 2,815 meters above sea level and has good weather... , Bracamoros, Huancabambas, Tallan culture, Huarco, Ichma, Parinacota Parinacota Parinacota is a massive potentially active stratovolcano on the border of Chile and Bolivia. It is part of the Nevados de Payachata volcanic group. The other major edifice in that group is the Pleistocene peak of Pomerape... , Cuntis Cuntis Cuntis is a municipality of Galicia, Spain in the province of Pontevedra.... , Chinchaycochas, Huarochiri, Kheswas, Tarmas, Paltas, Camanas Camañas Camañas is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 150 inhabitants....
Middle Horizon	600 CE – 1000 CE	Huari, Tiwanaku Tiwanaku Tiwanaku, is an important Pre-Columbian archaeological site in western Bolivia, South America. Tiwanaku is recognized by Andean scholars as one of the most important precursors to the Inca Empire, flourishing as the ritual and administrative capital of a major state power for approximately five... , Piura
Early Intermediate	200 CE – 600 CE	Moche Moche 'The Moche civilization flourished in northern Peru from about 100 AD to 800 AD, during the Regional Development Epoch. While this issue is the subject of some debate, many scholars contend that the Moche were not politically organized as a monolithic empire or state... , Nazca Nazca culture The Nazca culture was the archaeological culture that flourished from 100 to 800 CE beside the dry southern coast of Peru in the river valleys of the Rio Grande de Nazca drainage and the Ica Valley... , Lima Lima culture The Lima culture was an indigenous civilization which existed in modern day Peru from A.D. 100 to A.D. 650. This pre-Incan culture was located in the Chillon, Rimac and Lurin River valleys. This civilization was known for its ceramic artwork. The Lima Civilizaton constructed many temples known as... , Tiwanaku Tiwanaku Tiwanaku, is an important Pre-Columbian archaeological site in western Bolivia, South America. Tiwanaku is recognized by Andean scholars as one of the most important precursors to the Inca Empire, flourishing as the ritual and administrative capital of a major state power for approximately five... , Pechiche, Piura
Early Horizon	900 BCE – 200 CE	Chavín Chavín culture The Chavín were a civilization that developed in the northern Andean highlands of Peru from 900 BC to 200 BC. They extended their influence to other civilizations along the coast. The Chavín were located in the Mosna Valley where the Mosna and Huachecsa rivers merge... , Cupisnique Cupisnique Cupisnique was a pre-Columbian culture which flourished from ca. 1000 to 200 BC along what is presently Peru's Pacific Coast. The culture had a distinctive style of adobe clay architecture but shared artistic styles and religious symbols with the later Chavin culture which arose in the same area at... , Late Chiripa, Paracas Paracas culture The Paracas culture was an important Andean society between approximately 800 BCE and 100 BCE, with an extensive knowledge of irrigation and water management. It developed in the Paracas Peninsula, located in what today is the Paracas District of the Pisco Province in the Ica Region... , Pechiche, Sechura
Initial Period	1800/1500 BCE – 900 BCE	Early Chiripa, Kotosh Kotosh Kotosh is an archaeological site near Huanuco containing a temple of the Late Archaic period. The site gave name to the Kotosh Religious Tradition, which existed in Peru in 2300—1200 BCE, i.e. in the Late Archaic period... , Toríl Toril Toril, meaning bullpen in Spanish, can refer to:* Toril - a District in Metro Davao in The Philippines* Toril - a Barangay in Island Garden City of Samal, Metro Davao, The Philippines* Toril y Masegoso, a town in the province of Teruel, Aragón, Spain...  (The Cumbe Mayo Cumbe Mayo Cumbe Mayo is located about 12 miles southwest of the Peruvian city of Cajamarca, at an elevation of approximately 11,000 feet . The location is best known for the ruins of a Pre-Incan aqueduct stretching approximately five miles in length. The aqueduct collected water from the Atlantic...  aqueduct Aqueduct An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....  was built c. 1000 BCE)
Preceramic
Period VI	2500 BCE – 1500/1800 BCE	Norte Chico Norte Chico Norte Chico or Near North Coast ranges over five river valleys north of present-day Lima: the Chancay River, the Huaura River, Supe River, Fortaleza River and Pativilca River....  (Caral), Buena Vista Buena Vista, Peru Buena Vista is an 8 hectare archaeological site located in Peru about 25 miles inland in the Chillon River Valley and an hour's drive north of Lima. It is in the Santa Rosa de Quives District, Canta Province, in the foothills of the Andes. The site was first excavated by Frederic Engel... , Casavilca, Culebras, Ventarrón Ventarron Ventarrón is the site of a 4,000-year old temple with painted murals, which was excavated in Peru in 2007 in the Lambayeque region on the northern coast, north of Peru's capital of Lima... , Viscachani, Huaca Prieta Huaca Prieta Huaca Prieta is the site of a prehistoric coastal settlement in the Chicama valley, Peru. Consisting of a huge midden mound, it was first excavated by Junius B. Bird in 1946–1947. The site is the remains of a pre-pottery culture that lived here from 3,100–1,300 BCE. The remains include a number of...
Period V	4200 BCE – 2500 BCE	Honda, Lauricocha III, Viscachani,
Period IV	6000 BCE – 4200 BCE	Ambo, Canario, Siches, Lauricocha II, Luz, Toquepala II
Period III	8000 BCE – 6000 BCE	Arenal, Chivateros II, Lauricocha I, Playa Chira, Puyenca, Toquepala I
Period II	9500 BCE – 8000 BCE	Chivateros I, Lauricocha I Lauricocha Culture Lauricocha Culture is a sequence of Preceramic cultural periods in Peru's history, spanning about 5,000 years from c. 8000 to 2500 BCE.The total prehistoric sequence in Peru spans 15,000 years, starting at about 13,000 BC when the first gatherer-hunter societies left their traces in the Ayacucho...
Period I	? BCE – 9500 BCE	Oquendo, Red Zone (central coast)

Alternative timeline by Luis Lumbreras:

Period	Dates	Cultures
Ceramic
Tawantinsuyu Empire	1430 CE – 1532 CE	Incas
Regional States	1200 CE – 1470 CE	Huari, Chimú, Chincha Chincha The Chincha were a Native American people of the Andes. They are discussed by Maria Rostworowski de Diez Canseco in "History of the Inca Realm" and by Justo Caceres Macedo in "Prehispanic Cultures of Peru"... , Chanka Confederation
Huari Empire	800 CE – 1200 CE	Huari, Tiwanaku Tiwanaku Tiwanaku, is an important Pre-Columbian archaeological site in western Bolivia, South America. Tiwanaku is recognized by Andean scholars as one of the most important precursors to the Inca Empire, flourishing as the ritual and administrative capital of a major state power for approximately five...
Regional Development	100 CE – 800 CE	Moche Moche 'The Moche civilization flourished in northern Peru from about 100 AD to 800 AD, during the Regional Development Epoch. While this issue is the subject of some debate, many scholars contend that the Moche were not politically organized as a monolithic empire or state... , Nazca Nazca culture The Nazca culture was the archaeological culture that flourished from 100 to 800 CE beside the dry southern coast of Peru in the river valleys of the Rio Grande de Nazca drainage and the Ica Valley... , Lima Lima culture The Lima culture was an indigenous civilization which existed in modern day Peru from A.D. 100 to A.D. 650. This pre-Incan culture was located in the Chillon, Rimac and Lurin River valleys. This civilization was known for its ceramic artwork. The Lima Civilizaton constructed many temples known as... , Tiwanaku Tiwanaku Tiwanaku, is an important Pre-Columbian archaeological site in western Bolivia, South America. Tiwanaku is recognized by Andean scholars as one of the most important precursors to the Inca Empire, flourishing as the ritual and administrative capital of a major state power for approximately five... , Recuay Recuay Recuay may refer to:*Recuay, Peru, a small town in the Río Santa valley in northwestern central Peru*Recuay Province, a province in the Ancash Region in northwestern central Peru*Recuay District, a district in the Recuay Province in the Ancash Region... , Gallinazo
Formative	900 BCE – 200 CE	Chavín Chavín culture The Chavín were a civilization that developed in the northern Andean highlands of Peru from 900 BC to 200 BC. They extended their influence to other civilizations along the coast. The Chavín were located in the Mosna Valley where the Mosna and Huachecsa rivers merge... , Vicus
Preceramic
Archaic	4000 BCE – 1200/1800 BCE
Lithic	4000 BCE – 1500 BCE

See also

• Amazonas before the Inca Empire
  Amazonas before the Inca Empire
  The department of Amazonas in modern Peru – a part of Peru close to the Andes but within the Amazonian forest – has a millennial history. There is some evidence exhibited on rocky walls dated from the most remote times, including the rock paintings of Chiñuña-Yamón and Limones-Calpón in the...
  
  
• The Pre-Incan Lost Pyramid of Puñay