The Andean civilizations Encompassing the whole set of cultures that developed within the central Andean territory encompassing the western and central part of South America, occupying large areas of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile.
The origins of these cultures go back to the years 12,000 BC, when the first settlers settled in the Andes in the condition of hunters and gatherers located in the valleys of the coast.
Machu Picchu, an ancient Andean Inca town.
In 4000 a.C began the domestication of animals and plants, and by 3000 BC the organization in the first urban nuclei.
It is from the year 2500 BC that temples are erected and a social, political and administrative organization that would lead to the formation of the most important Andean civilizations, namely: Chavín, Tiahuanaco, Nazca and Huari to culminate with the famous Incas .
When speaking of civilization refers to the whole set of customs, beliefs, ideas, culture or art of a people or community.
Being made up of the presence of organized urban settlements, social distribution and advanced politics, social division of labor, and the development of commercial, artistic, architectural and scientific activities of great importance.
Each and every Andean civilization, despite its antiquity, managed to fulfill these characteristics, being highly developed civilizations that left a religious, artistic and architectural legacy that remains until the present time.
Main Andean civilizations
Chavin
One of the oldest pre-Inca Andean civilizations, it flourished between 1200 and 400 BC settling in the north and central part of the Andes.
One of the most outstanding aspects of this culture is its religious legacy, with the construction of the Chavín de Huántar Temple, which today is declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
The Chavin culture was polytheistic, worshiping multiple terrifying gods among them the God Jaguar or Puma, the eagle, the condor and the snake.
They had a theocratic political organization where the priest was the figure of greater power and authority followed by the warriors.
They developed a successful economy where harvesting, hunting and fishing were the main means of subsistence.
Its main contributions are in the field of crafts and architecture, after creating precious stone ceramics decorated with jungle animals and build the first city with a successful drainage system, being a pioneering culture in the field of hydraulic engineering.
Tiahuanaco
Considered as one of the most important precursory civilizations of the Inca empire, existed between years 200 a.C and 1000 d.C. It was located in the Bolivian southeast near Lake Titicaca, considered as the"center of the world".
With a polytheistic religion, this culture worshiped many Gods, among them the most important, Viracocha. The political organization was theocratic when the priests were in the upper social class, above the craftsmen and merchants.
In the economic area they dedicated themselves to develop the agriculture and the cattle raising, constructing extensive cultures in elevated platforms of turf to produce the harvests. At the same time they designed large aqueducts and dedicated themselves to the hunting, commerce and design of crafts.
However, the main contribution is in its architecture. After having built palaces, forts, terraces and two famous works.
The first, the Sun's Home, a huge temple door to worship the Viracocha God; And the second, the temple of Kalasasaya, a large temple of stones standing like dolmens.
Nazca
It was developed along the southern coast of Peru between 1000 and 700 AD. Being a culture dedicated exclusively to fishing, commerce and agriculture.
It is considered one of the main Andean civilizations for its contributions in the field of agriculture, after designing an important underground aqueducts system, as well as having built large channels to harness water and irrigate crops.
The Nazca culture created the first vertical breaths instituting great advances in the field of agriculture.
Of polytheistic religion, they believed in natural spirits and shamans, who possessed the highest degree of social importance.
They were characterized by the elaboration of beautiful ceramics and geoglyphs known as"The Lines of Nazca", which were geometric figures located next to the aqueducts.
Famous today, they are often visited for representing sacred ways and marking the seasons, being a huge calendar of figures.
In the field of architecture have given much of it to speak for being the first civilization to recreate the first city, Kawachi city.
Likewise the Nazca culture built streets, squares and canals, as well as numerous religious centers.
Huari
Considered to be one of the most powerful Andean civilizations of its time, the Huari civilization was made between 700 and 900 CE, with a large part of the central Andes of present-day Peru.
Unlike previous civilizations, it built a great empire. Its inhabitants were conquerors and in addition to instituting a great army, they developed different agricultural techniques that gave them wealth and established commercial exchanges.
They were a politically advanced civilization by putting aside the theocratic distribution of power, with King Huari being the elite, having underneath the warrior nobility, administrative officials, the priestly class and the people made up of artisans, merchants, farmers and fishermen .
Nevertheless, their religion continued being polytheistic adoring to the Viracocha God like supreme being.
In the area of the economy, the technology of terraces was used and networks of commercial roads were created, making exchanges of minerals, ceramics, food, textiles and goldsmiths.
Its main contribution lies in architecture, having built rectangular enclosures, squares, patios and large buildings decorated with ornaments that marked the social class that inhabited them. Its city became the first walled urban core.
Inca
Cataloged as one of the most advanced Andean civilizations, it extended from the north of Ecuador to the central part of Chile and from the Andes to the Coast.
It flourished as a great empire with a highly developed culture between 1200 AD until the Spanish conquest of Peru in 1500 approximately.
One of the achievements of this civilization was its political administration, when reaching to divide the empire in different territorial administrations each with its own government.
It was a theocratic monarchical political system where the Inca was the highest figure of authority. Next to him was the imperial council and below the nobility, the tributaries and the people.
Its economy flourished thanks to the introduction of advanced irrigation systems and the use of fertilizers as a new tool in crops.
Among his contributions are also the construction of huge cities in stone and the design of precious ceramics.
However, the most important of all was the creation of the astronomical calendar based on the scientific study of the movement of the sun, moon and stars.
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