Early Horizon

The Early Horizon in Andean history, flourishing between approximately 900 and 200 BCE, represents the earliest highly developed culture in pre-Columbian Peru. This period saw the spread of Chavín artistic influence throughout northern and central Peru. The Chavín culture unified many local and regional cultures through a common ideology or religion, though the extent of political unification is uncertain.1

Key characteristics of the Chavín culture include a massive temple complex at Chavín de Huántar, constructed with dressed stone and featuring interior galleries and bas-relief carvings. Artistic motifs commonly depicted human, avian, feline, and reptilian figures, often combined into complex and fantastical imagery. While Chavín de Huántar is a significant site, it may not be the culture's origin point, with other important regional manifestations found at sites like Kotosh and Kuntur Wasi. The Chavín culture emerged from earlier developments during the Initial Period, which established a sedentary agricultural way of life in Peru. The Early Horizon was succeeded by the Early Intermediate Period, marking a decline in Chavín's cultural influence.12