The Beginnings of the Road
Introduction
Fourteen thousand years of unique cultures preceded the Inka in the Andes. Four in particular—Chavín, Tiwanaku, Wari, and Chimú—influenced Inka traditions and laid the groundwork for the rise of the Inka Empire and the monumental Qhapaq Ñan.
Chavín | 1,000 BC–AD 100
Chavín was the first great unifying culture in the Andes. Its scattered settlements, the largest of which was Chavín de Huántar, shared a distinctive art, architecture, and way of life that influenced a number of ethnic groups.
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Tiwanaku | AD 400–1000
Located near Lake Titicaca, the city of Tiwanaku was the core of a culture whose religion, art, and architecture influenced much of the southern Andes. To foster trade and the distribution of resources, the Aymara people of Tiwanaku built roads all the way to the Pacific Coast.
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Wari | AD 600–1100
The Wari were empire builders. From the highlands of Peru, they expanded their territory and spread their religion. To control remote areas, the Wari established provinical centers and an extensive road network.
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Chimú | AD 1100–1400
The well-organized Chimú capital, Chan Chan, was the largest city in the Western Hemisphere in its day. The Chimú built a road network, canals, and irrigation systems to help them expand along the northern coast of Peru.
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Inka | AD 1200–1533
The Inka began their rise in the early 1200s. Based in Cusco, they grew first into a small kingdom, adapting many practices and policies of earlier cultures. In 1438 Inka rulers began to conquer neighboring territories, eventually creating the largest empire in the Western Hemisphere.
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