South America

The Central Andes region was a seat of culture and art parallel to the “Old World” in antiquity, diversity, and sophistication. The ancient Central Andes comprised present-day southern Ecuador, Peru, western Bolivia, and northern Chile. General cultural similarities across the Andes included an emphasis on surviving and interacting with the challenging environments, reciprocity and cyclicality (rather than individualism), and reverence for the animal and plant worlds. © 2020 College Board