THE EARLY PIONEER PEOPLES OF PERU
History Revealed|April 2023
The Inca were certainly not the only civilisation to leave a lasting impression on the Andes
SPENCER MIZEN
THE EARLY PIONEER PEOPLES OF PERU

When it comes to telling the history of pre-Columbian Peru, there has traditionally been just one empire that has dominated the headlines. That is, of course, the Inca. But that mighty imperium on South America's western seaboard would reach its zenith in the 15th and 16th centuries, which leaves around two millennia where a cluster of other civilisations burned brightly before fading away in the shadows of the Andes. In many ways, these realms were every bit as sophisticated as their more celebrated successor.

The Nazca, who thrived in southern Peru between c200 BC and AD 650, were a people of skilled craftsmen who produced elaborate textiles and ceramics. Agriculture was central to their way of life, growing crops such as maize, squash and sweet potatoes. And while the Inca are noted for practising human sacrifice, archaeological excavations suggest that the Nazca were carrying out ritualistic killings to propitiate the gods more than 1,000 years earlier. Excavated burials have revealed victims with eyes blocked and excrement placed in their mouths. It is a ghoulish image, but part of the developed Nazca belief system.

There was more to the Nazca than blood and butchery, though. They created colossal geoglyphs (see box on opposite page), and Nazca shaman are thought to have worked themselves up into drug-induced trances before appealing to the spirits of nature to serve up a good harvest. These entreaties appeared to have worked until the seventh century AD, for that was when the culture collapsed. We cannot be sure what caused the Nazca to disappear. Scientists have theorised that an extreme climate event, such as intense flooding, might have dealt the fatal blow.

WONDERS OF THE WARI

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM HISTORY REVEALEDView all
'Dickens's evocation of the fears, excitement and confusion of childhood is peerless'
BBC History Revealed

'Dickens's evocation of the fears, excitement and confusion of childhood is peerless'

DR LEE JACKSON ON WHY CHARLES DICKENS REMAINS RELEVANT TODAY

time-read
2 mins  |
Christmas 2023
THE AUTHOR GOES ABROAD
BBC History Revealed

THE AUTHOR GOES ABROAD

Dickens expanded his horizons and boosted his fan-base by venturing overseas - but global fame came with a cost

time-read
4 mins  |
Christmas 2023
REVIVING THE FESTIVE SPIRIT
BBC History Revealed

REVIVING THE FESTIVE SPIRIT

A Christmas Carol wasn't just a bestseller - it changed the way that Britons chose to mark the festive season

time-read
3 mins  |
Christmas 2023
GIVING THE POOR A VOICE
BBC History Revealed

GIVING THE POOR A VOICE

From Hard Times to Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens used his pen to help illuminate the lives of the less fortunate

time-read
3 mins  |
Christmas 2023
A JOURNEY THROUGH DICKENS'S LONDON
BBC History Revealed

A JOURNEY THROUGH DICKENS'S LONDON

The works of Charles Dickens are synonymous with visions of Victorian London. We talk to Dr Lee Jackson about the author's love of the capital, and the locations that most inspired him

time-read
10+ mins  |
Christmas 2023
EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
BBC History Revealed

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

Dr Lee Jackson chronicles Charles Dickens's journey from down-at-luck teenager to titan of Victorian literature

time-read
6 mins  |
Christmas 2023
GIFTS, TREES & FEASTING
BBC History Revealed

GIFTS, TREES & FEASTING

We take a journey through the photo archives to reveal how Christmas and its many traditions have been celebrated over the years - and around the world

time-read
3 mins  |
Christmas 2023
WHAT GREAT PAINTINGS SAY
BBC History Revealed

WHAT GREAT PAINTINGS SAY

We explore the story behind an allegorical painting that celebrates the triumph of love over hate, peace over war

time-read
3 mins  |
Christmas 2023
HELLISH NELL
BBC History Revealed

HELLISH NELL

Malcolm Gaskill delves into the life of Helen Duncan - the fraudulent Scottish medium whose ectoplasm-filled seances saw her ending up on the wrong side of the law

time-read
6 mins  |
Christmas 2023
7 THINGS YOU (PROBABLY) DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE
BBC History Revealed

7 THINGS YOU (PROBABLY) DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE

Presidential historian Dr Lindsay M Chervinsky reveals some of the most surprising facts about the world-famous US residence

time-read
5 mins  |
Christmas 2023