Viceroyalty of Peru: Did you mean...?

From the Formative Epoch (1250 BCE - 1 CE). Represents a figure with the body of a feline, head of an owl, and a serpent-like tail. These animals all had sacred and symbolic meaning in many ancient Peruvian cultures. At the Museo Larco, Lima...

Spain’s rapid expansion into South America followed the consolidation of its Caribbean footholds by 1512, marking a decisive shift from exploration to imperial conquest. Under the reign of Ferdinand II of Aragon (reign1479–1516) and later...

Peru: Kingdoms of the Sun and the Moon is the exhibition catalogue of a major traveling exhibition now on show at the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal, Canada. Edited by Victor Pimentel—a curator of pre-Columbian art at the Montreal Museum...

Uncovering the culture of Ancient Peru is a book by Alix Wood that is part of a series about ancient Britain, Egypt, Greece, India, Mesopotamia, and Peru. The aim of this series is to get children interested in ancient cultures, archaeology...

A gold glove from a tomb of the Lambayeque Civilization of northern Peru, 900-1375 CE. (Museo Oro del Perú y Armas del Mundo, Lima, Peru)

A map showing the extent of the Chavin civilization (900-200 BCE) and its religious centre Chavin de Huantar, a celebrated site of pilgrimage.

Extraordinarily well-preserved murals, dating from pre-Inca times, depicting stylised marine scenes. The photo was taken by Hilary Bradt and used with permission. Date of photo unknown.

A traditional totora reed raft on Lake Titicaca. For several pre-Columbian cultures, including the Incas, the lake was considered the centre of the cosmos and place of creation.

An illustration from the 16th century Codex Kingsborough showing the abuses of the encomienda forced labour system in the Viceroyalty of New Spain. (British Museum, London)

The centre of Inca power was the capital Cuzco, considered the navel of the world. 40,000 Incas governed an empire of over 10 million subjects who spoke over 30 different languages. Consequently, the centralised government employed a vast...