Andean textile tradition

Timeline

1. c. -3000–-500Peruvian coast and highlands · PeruAndean ancestors mastered cotton spinning and backstrap weaving, producing simple plain-weave and decorative textiles; textiles began to serve as identity markers and in burial rituals.
2. c. 600–1000Wari imperial core and Tiwanaku cultural zone · Ayacucho RegionImperial-period textile workshops produced high-count alpaca wool fabrics; Wari-style intermediate-tone geometric patterns and religious imagery such as the Staff God spread widely, and fabrics circulated across the Andes as tribute and diplomatic gifts.
3. c. 1011–1020Central Andean trade network · Andes MountainsAfter the collapse of the Wari Empire, fine textiles still circulated among local chiefdoms and pilgrimage routes; Wari-style patterns and Tiwanaku religious motifs continued to influence regional textile aesthetics, laying the foundation for later Inca quipus and court textiles.