Indigenous People of Peru

When thinking of the pre-Columbian, indigenous people of Peru, the Inca come to mind immediately.  However, they were not the first, nor only, people to inhabit Peru before the arrival of Europeans.

Archaeological evidence points to human habitation in Peru over 7,000 years before the birth of Christ.  However, it wasn't until about 5,000 years later that evidence shows the existence of village life, or small groups living together in Peru.

The Chavin Culture

For the next two thousand years, quite a few distince cultural groups developed, including the Sechin and Chavin.  The Chavin were known for their sophisticated religious rituals, and their culture revolved around spirit worship in a muli-theistic animistic context.  Religious symbols of animals, particularly jaguars, were common.   A central theme in the Chavin religious beliefs was the idea of "shape shifting" - animals becoming gods, or animals taking on human characteristics.  It is thought that the Chavin used hallucinogenic drugs, probably obtained from local plants and cacti, to assist in creating shape-shifting components to their ceremonies. The Chavin could be found along the Pacific coastal area of Peru and extending up into the Andes.  The following map shows the location of the Chavin and the geographical area of their influence.

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