Paracas, Geography and Culture of

Introduction

Often difficult to understand through the filter of Western thought, ancient Andean societies developed along their own unique historical trajectories that have long intrigued both professional archaeologists and the general public alike. Sometimes classified as societies without “writing,” without a “State,” or without “urbanism,” these Andean – and in particular pre-Huari and pre-Inca – populations in fact created their own representations of the conceptual and material worlds. An abundance of archaeological evidence bears witness to the historical depth that the Andean area shares with the rest of the world. It can therefore not be confined to a “prehistory” that would only come to an end with the arrival of the Spaniards. It is from this perspective and in light of recent archaeological evidence that we will here approach Paracas culture in a way that will not reduce it to a single style of ceramic and textile crafts.

Paracas: Attempt at a Definition

On old maps from...