Lauricocha culture is a sequence of
preceramic cultural periods in
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
's history, spanning about 5,000 years from c. 8000 to 2500 BC.
The total
prehistoric sequence in Peru spans 15,000 years, starting at about 13,000 BC when the first gatherer-hunter societies left their traces in the
Ayacucho
Ayacucho (, qu, Ayak'uchu) is the capital city of Ayacucho Region and of Huamanga Province, Ayacucho Region, Peru.
During the Inca Empire and Viceroyalty of Peru periods the city was known by the name of Huamanga (Quechua: Wamanga), and it c ...
and
Ancash
Ancash ( qu, Anqash; es, Áncash ) is a department and region in northern Peru. It is bordered by the departments of La Libertad on the north, Huánuco and Pasco on the east, Lima on the south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Its capital i ...
highlands. These were populations that were migrating from the North American continent through Central America and populated the
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
. Traces of these early groups have been found in rock caves of Lauricocha,
Pacaicasa and
Guitarrero.
The ''Lauricocha Cave'' at an altitude of over 4000 m was discovered in 1957 near
Lauricocha Lake and the source of the
Marañón River
, name_etymology =
, image = Maranon.jpg
, image_size = 270
, image_caption = Valley of the Marañón between Chachapoyas ( Leimebamba) and Celendín
, map = Maranonrivermap.png
, map_size ...
, one of the headwaters of the
Amazon River. It contained human remains, the oldest found in Peru, which can be dated back to the
last glacial period, c. 9,500 years ago.
The early Peruvian groups of gatherers and hunters traversed between the rugged highlands and the coastal areas, following the movement of the wild animal herds and the climatic change of the seasons. Lauricocha near
Huánuco
Huánuco (; qu, Wanuku) is a city in central Peru. It had a population of 196,627 as of 2017 and in 2015 it had a population of 175,068. It is the capital of the Huánuco Region and the Huánuco District. It is the seat of the diocese of Hu ...
was one of the important mountain encampments. The art of working stone to arrow points and fine blades was sophisticated, and the people made cave paintings of animals, hunting scenes and dances.
;Lauricocha periods
* Lauricocha I: 8000 – 6000 BC (Andean preceramic III)
* Lauricocha II: 6000 – 4200 BC (Andean preceramic IV)
* Lauricocha III: 4200 – 2500 BC (Andean preceramic V)
See also
*
Amotape complex
The Amotape complex is an archaeological culture on the northern coast of Peru dated to between c. 9,000 and 7,100 BCE. It constitutes some of the oldest evidence for human occupation of the Peruvian coast. The Amotape complex was identified by t ...
*
Paiján culture
The Paiján culture was an archaeological culture that emerged on the northern coast of Peru between 13,000 and 10,000 cal BP (11,000-8,000 BCE). It was first described by Peruvian archaeologist Rafael Larco Hoyle in the 1940s from the Pampa de l ...
External links
"The Original Peopling of Latin America" UNESCO
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lauricocha Culture
Prehistory of Peru
Pre-Columbian cultures
Indigenous peoples of the Andes
Andean preceramic
8th-millennium BC establishments
3rd-millennium BC disestablishments
1957 archaeological discoveries