The first inhabitants arrived from Asia, probably crossing the Bering Strait, reaching present-day Peru around 20 000 BC.
One of the earliest, still detectable civilization had its centre in Chavín de Huántar, located near present-day Huaraz. It existed from about 800 to 300 BC and included large parts of the territory that nowadays covers Peru. One of the most important discoveries, the Raimondi Stella, can now be admired at the Archaeological Museum in Lima.
Following the culmination of the Chavín-culture, several regional cultures emerged on the coast: most importantly the Moche, Nasca and Paracas-cultures.
On Peru’s north Coast, the Moche- or Mochica-culture flourished in the Trujillo valley from 100-800 AD. They were skilled metal smiths and potters. Many ceramics featured erotic motifs. The Larco Herrera Museum houses a separate room dedicated to these ceramics.
In 1987, Peruvian archaeologist Walter Alva discovered the Lord of Sipán and his court in previously untouched tombs in Huaca Rajada. Some archaeologists hold it to be one of the most important archaeological discoveries in this region of the world, comparable only with the discovery of Tut-Ench-Amun in the Valley of the Kings.
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