The first advanced civilization of South America is the Chavin civilization, which flourished between 900 and 100 BC. It is named after its centre of Chavin de Huantar in Northern Peru. The Chavin civilization built pyramids and temples. The Chavin civilization was followed by the Moche culture. The coast of Peru was the home of this culture. Fishing, agriculture, and Llama breeding made this culture a rich one. The tomb of a nobleman called Lord of Sipan was discovered.
Southern Peru boasted of the Paracas culture. The culture extended from 1000 to 200 BC. Bottle shaped tombs and finely worked ceramics were features of this culture. They mummified dead bodies and bound them together into ‘mummy bundles’. They also drilled holes in the skull for medical or religious purposes. The Paracas was followed by the Nazca culture which dominated between 370 BC and 450 AD. Tattooed mummies have been found from their tombs. They carved huge pictures on the ground of the Pampa or desert. These pictures are known as geoglyphs. The meaning of the geoglyphs remains a mystery to this day.