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Definition
Chan Chan
Chan Chan (Chimor) was the capital city of the Chimu civilization which flourished on the northern coast of Peru between the 12th and 15th centuries CE. The city was a giant metropolis populated by peoples from across the Chimu Empire, the...
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Daily Life in the Inca Empire
Daily life in the Inca empire was characterised by strong family relationships, agricultural labour, sometimes enforced state or military service for males, and occasional lighter moments of festivities to celebrate important life events...
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Weapons of the Conquistadors
The Iberian conquistadors ("conquerors") were the first military men to explore, attack, and conquer territories in the Americas and Asia that would then become a part of the Spanish or Portuguese Empire. Indigenous peoples could not match...
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Inca Mummies
The Inca civilization of Peru, as with many other ancient Andean cultures, mummified many of their dead and buried them with valuable materials such as precious metal jewellery, fine pottery, and sumptuous textiles. Important mummies could...
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Treasure Ports of the Spanish Main
The treasure ports of the Spanish Main such as Cartagena, Portobelo, Panama, and Veracruz were used to collect the riches the Spanish Empire had extracted from the Americas, ready for transport in the two annual treasure fleets back to Europe...
Interview
Interview: Super/Natural: Textiles of the Andes
Over the course of several millennia, textiles were the primary form of aesthetic expression and communication for the diverse cultures that developed throughout the desert coasts and mountain highlands of the Andean region. Worn as garments...
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Map of Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki Expedition, 1947
The Kon-Tiki Expedition (1947) was an experimental voyage led by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl (1914–2002), designed to test the feasibility of long-distance ocean travel using ancient technologies. Departing from Callao, Peru, a crew...
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Nazca Line Hummingbird
A Nazca geoglyph depicting a hummingbird. The designs and lines created on the desert floor of southern Peru are known collectively as the 'Nazca Lines' and were made over several centuries between 200 BCE and 500 CE. Their exact purpose...
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The Wari Empire
A map illustrating the extent of the Wari (Huari) civilization (purple) which flourished in Peru between c. 450 and 1000 CE. The extent of the contemporary Tiwanaku culture is indicated in light blue.
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Lake Titicaca
A map of Lake Titicaca in South America, located between Peru and Bolivia. For ancient Andean peoples the lake was a sacred site and considered the centre of the cosmos and place of original creation.