Wari Empire

Peru, 600 CE–1100. Draft, not yet reviewed

The Wari Empire emerged in around 600 CE in Peru's Ayacucho Basin and grew to cover much of coastal and highland Peru. It lasted for about 500 years, until 1100 CE. The state collapsed in about 1100, likely because of environmental change and internal socio-political stresses.

Seat of power: Huari

No rulers documented for this era yet.

Culture

• The Wari built an imperial highway to connect their highland capital and the Pacific coast.
• Communal beer drinking was a powerful tool of Wari governance.
• Canals, reservoirs, aqueducts, terraces and cultivated fields were found at Pikillaqta.

Picture

Pikillaqta is a large Wari site in the Cusco Region of Peru, occupied from about 550 to 1100 AD.

Image: AgainErick, CC BY-SA 3.0, file

Sources

• Wari Empire (Wikipedia)
• Wari Empire (Wikidata)
• About the picture (Wikipedia)

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.