When did the first humans arrive in South America?
The first humans arrived in South America via the Isthmus of Panama around 15,000 BCE. These early groups lived as hunter-gatherers during what archaeologists call the Lithic Period.
Questions about Andean civilizations
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the oldest known civilization in the Americas and when did it exist?
The Caral-Supe civilization emerged at 3500 BCE and lasted until 1800 BCE. It is the oldest known civilization in the Americas and included as many as 30 major population centers in north-central coastal Peru.
How did Andean civilizations record information without a written language?
Andean civilizations used the quipu system of knotted and colored strings to record data instead of writing. The use of the quipu dates back at least to the Wari Empire between 600 and 1000 CE and may even reach the earlier Caral/Norte Chico civilization of the third millennium BCE.
Which crops were most important to Andean agriculture?
Important crops cultivated by Andeans included potatoes, quinoa, tomatoes, chile peppers, cotton, coca, tobacco, pineapples, peanuts, and beans. They also domesticated llamas and guinea pigs to manage environmental challenges.
When did the Inca Empire fall to Spanish forces?
The last Inca stronghold fell to Spanish forces in 1572. The empire had incorporated large portions of western South America from 1438 to 1533 CE before its final collapse.