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Peru: Cradle of Civilization

The six regions of the world where the first civilizations emerged independently, uninfluenced by other societies, are known as the “cradles of civilization”. Of all the cultural achievements of Peru, the most important is its inclusion as one of these cradles of civilization.

  • China: A great civilization developed on the banks of the Yellow River.
  • India: Important citadels were built along the Indus River.
  • Mesopotamia: The Sumerian cities emerged between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in present-day Iraq.
  • Egypt: The fertility of the Nile Valley contributed to the emergence of a great empire.
  • Mesoamerica: Between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean the Olmec, Maya and Aztec cultures developed.
  • Peru: The Andean region was first inhabited some 14,000 years ago, and the first civilization emerged approximately
The first humans arrived from Asia around 40,000 BC after crossing the Bering Strait during the Wisconsin glacial period. More recent migrations were made across the Pacific Ocean from Asia and Oceania.