Late Preceramic

The Late Preceramic period in Andean prehistory, spanning millennia before the Inca Empire, saw diverse groups developing along the Pacific coast and in the highlands. Coastal peoples cultivated crops like beans and squash, fished, and hunted marine mammals, establishing settlements with unique housing structures. In the highlands, evidence suggests early human presence and the cultivation of crops such as gourds, cotton, quinoa, and amaranth before 3000 BCE.12

By 2500 BCE, significant population growth and stable settlements emerged, particularly on the coast. Sites like Huaca Prieta show a mixed reliance on seafood, wild plants, and cultivated crops, with early examples of twined textiles and subterranean houses. This period laid the groundwork for later complex societies in the Andes.132