Knowra Andean civilizations Andean civilizations Andean civilizations were societies that developed along the western edge of South America, adapting to high mountains, deserts, and Pacific coasts. They included independent states and empires, culminating in the Inca Empire.
Andes : A mountain range extending along the western edge of South America. Its highlands, valleys, and slopes shaped settlement, movement, and political boundaries.
Norte Chico civilization : A complex society that arose in Peru's Supe Valley region during the third millennium BCE. Its monumental centers are among the earliest evidence of large-scale Andean social organization.
Inca road system : A network of roads connecting territories across the Inca Empire. Roads moved officials, armies, messages, and supplies through varied terrain.
Tiwanaku : A powerful polity centered near Lake Titicaca, prominent from about 500 to 1000 CE. Its monumental center and influence show highland state-building before Inca expansion.
Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire : The Spanish campaign that defeated Inca political authority in the sixteenth century. Conquest ended imperial rule while redirecting Andean labor, land, and power.
Vertical archipelago : An economic strategy linking settlements at different elevations to obtain varied resources. Andean communities connected ecological zones rather than relying on one local environment.
Caral : A large ceremonial and residential center of the Norte Chico civilization in coastal Peru. Its platform mounds and sunken plazas reveal early monumental construction in the Andes.
Mit'a : A system of compulsory communal labor used by Andean states, including the Inca Empire. State projects drew on rotating labor obligations rather than a cash-tax system.
Wari civilization : A highland state centered near modern Ayacucho, influential in Peru from about 600 to 1000 CE. Wari provides an earlier example of urban planning and imperial-scale administration.
Viceroyalty of Peru : A Spanish colonial jurisdiction established in 1542, governing much of western South America. Colonial institutions reorganized territories and communities once governed by Andean states.
Show all 30