Over 20,000 years ago nomads traveled down from North America and settled in northern Peru. Although lacking in skeletal evidence there are tools that have been dated back father then 20,000 years ago. The Huaca Prieta also known as the Chicama were a pre-Comlubian civilization that were estimated to have existed as early as 3000 and 1800BC. The people who inhabited this area at this time are known for creating large mounds of ash, stone, plants, and shells. These mounds have an unknown meaning to the people at this time. Some mounds were believed to be used for burial purposes.
The inhabitants surprisingly didn’t cultivate maze. Their main crop was cotton; they also produced fruits and vegetables like gourds, squash and chilies. It was very common for them to fish and collect shellfish for meat. The Huaca Prieta people domesticated a few animals including, llamas, guinea pigs and alpacas. One of their primary sources of meat were guinea pigs. These guinea pigs were kept as pets for the children then later eaten. This practice is still used today in current society.
Contrasting the novel Guns, Steel and Germs to research on pre-Columbian cultures in Peru there are a few holes in Diamond’s theory. One of the staple points that Diamond presents is that the Spaniards that later conquered the Incas should have had the advantage of guns. Studies have shown that most battles were done with wielding a sword or another kind of weapon. They did not rely too much on guns or steel. Although the Spaniards also had an advantage of communication little of it was used to conquer the Incas or Aztecs. It’s widely believed that orders did not go in a chain of command from the old world. Most plans or decisions to battle or conquer other villages were made at previous battle sites. Written communication wasn’t necessary to win those battles.
People of early settlement in Peru were subject to violent tsunamis. This caused migration inward to more fertile soil, inland. There were many rivers that provided the necessary nutrients to the crops Peruvian’s grew. In some Peruvian cultures the people had intricate terraces. What made these people interesting is that they lived in the sides of steep mountains. Then they would take the yield of their crops and trade them in the villages.
People of Peru have systems that help each other function. For example, people from the coasts would collect seabird and bat guano and give it to the farmers that lived in the mountain. The farmers would then use this to fertilize their terraces and provide to the people in the villages. If you fly over Peru today you will be able to see these caves and terraces in the sides of the Andes.
For more supplemental information you can refer to the following links:
1. http://web.stanford.edu/group/peruanos/informa/general.htm
2. http://www.academia.edu/4518380/Chronology_mound-building_and_environment_at_Huaca_Prieta_coastal_Peru_from_13_700_to_4000_years_ago
The first link will take you to a general information page about Peru and its history. I found it very helpful when generalizing large ideas and concepts about Peru.
The second link is a paper published in a science journal about the mounds and what scientists believe they were used for. This gives a scientific approach to how the Huaca Prieta lived and their culture.
The inhabitants surprisingly didn’t cultivate maze. Their main crop was cotton; they also produced fruits and vegetables like gourds, squash and chilies. It was very common for them to fish and collect shellfish for meat. The Huaca Prieta people domesticated a few animals including, llamas, guinea pigs and alpacas. One of their primary sources of meat were guinea pigs. These guinea pigs were kept as pets for the children then later eaten. This practice is still used today in current society.
Contrasting the novel Guns, Steel and Germs to research on pre-Columbian cultures in Peru there are a few holes in Diamond’s theory. One of the staple points that Diamond presents is that the Spaniards that later conquered the Incas should have had the advantage of guns. Studies have shown that most battles were done with wielding a sword or another kind of weapon. They did not rely too much on guns or steel. Although the Spaniards also had an advantage of communication little of it was used to conquer the Incas or Aztecs. It’s widely believed that orders did not go in a chain of command from the old world. Most plans or decisions to battle or conquer other villages were made at previous battle sites. Written communication wasn’t necessary to win those battles.
People of early settlement in Peru were subject to violent tsunamis. This caused migration inward to more fertile soil, inland. There were many rivers that provided the necessary nutrients to the crops Peruvian’s grew. In some Peruvian cultures the people had intricate terraces. What made these people interesting is that they lived in the sides of steep mountains. Then they would take the yield of their crops and trade them in the villages.
People of Peru have systems that help each other function. For example, people from the coasts would collect seabird and bat guano and give it to the farmers that lived in the mountain. The farmers would then use this to fertilize their terraces and provide to the people in the villages. If you fly over Peru today you will be able to see these caves and terraces in the sides of the Andes.
For more supplemental information you can refer to the following links:
1. http://web.stanford.edu/group/peruanos/informa/general.htm
2. http://www.academia.edu/4518380/Chronology_mound-building_and_environment_at_Huaca_Prieta_coastal_Peru_from_13_700_to_4000_years_ago
The first link will take you to a general information page about Peru and its history. I found it very helpful when generalizing large ideas and concepts about Peru.
The second link is a paper published in a science journal about the mounds and what scientists believe they were used for. This gives a scientific approach to how the Huaca Prieta lived and their culture.
![Picture](/uploads/4/6/5/3/46530929/8920116.png?250)
Image (left): This is a map showing where Hauca Prieta was
located relative to Caral.
Hirst, K. (n.d.). Huaca Prieta - Formative Mound Construction in Peru. Retrieved February 6, 2015, from http://archaeology.about.com/od/hterms/qt/Huaca-Prieta.htm
Hirst, K. (n.d.). Huaca Prieta - Formative Mound Construction in Peru. Retrieved February 6, 2015, from http://archaeology.about.com/od/hterms/qt/Huaca-Prieta.htm
![Picture](/uploads/4/6/5/3/46530929/6740158_orig.png)
In the population pyramid graph shown above. We can see that in the year 1950, Peru's average mortality rate was high and not many people lived past the 85-89 year mark. The graph also shows that both male and female population was about the same.
![Picture](/uploads/4/6/5/3/46530929/5087624_orig.png)
Sources Cited:
The Peoples And Civilizations Of The Americas. (n.d.). Retrieved February 2, 2015, from http://history-world.org/early america.htm
Dillehay, T., Bonivia, D., Goodbred, S., Pino, M., Vasquez, V., & Tham, T. (2012, March 27). Chronology, mound-building and environment at Huaca Prieta, coastal Peru, from 13 700 to 4000 years ago. Retrieved February 3, 2015, from http://www.academia.edu/4518380/Chronology_mound-building_and_environment_at_Huaca_Prieta_coastal_Peru_from_13_700_to_4000_years_ago
Peru: General Information. (2004, January 1). Retrieved February 3, 2015, from http://web.stanford.edu/group/peruanos/informa/general.htm
Diamond, J. (1998). Guns, germs, and steel: The fates of human societies (p. 496). New York: W.W. Norton &.
The Peoples And Civilizations Of The Americas. (n.d.). Retrieved February 2, 2015, from http://history-world.org/early america.htm
Dillehay, T., Bonivia, D., Goodbred, S., Pino, M., Vasquez, V., & Tham, T. (2012, March 27). Chronology, mound-building and environment at Huaca Prieta, coastal Peru, from 13 700 to 4000 years ago. Retrieved February 3, 2015, from http://www.academia.edu/4518380/Chronology_mound-building_and_environment_at_Huaca_Prieta_coastal_Peru_from_13_700_to_4000_years_ago
Peru: General Information. (2004, January 1). Retrieved February 3, 2015, from http://web.stanford.edu/group/peruanos/informa/general.htm
Diamond, J. (1998). Guns, germs, and steel: The fates of human societies (p. 496). New York: W.W. Norton &.