Early human settlement of the Andean highlands (c. 14,000–6,000 BP)

1. Early peoples spread across South America

   Jan 1, 12000 BCELabels: South America, Early migrants

   • Science PubMed
   • NatGeo

2. Earliest high-altitude sites appear in Pucuncho Basin

   Jan 1, 10800 BCELabels: Pucuncho Basin, High-altitude sites

   • Science PubMed
   • NatGeo

3. Cuncaicha rockshelter records sustained high-elevation use

   Jan 1, 10400 BCELabels: Cuncaicha, Rockshelter

   • Science PubMed
   • Paleoandes

4. Highland cave occupations documented in Junín puna

   Jan 1, 10000 BCELabels: Jun n, Pachamachay

   • Stanford Rick
   • Peru 14C DB

5. Lauricocha region becomes part of highland settlement network

   Jan 1, 9600 BCELabels: Lauricocha, Highland network

   • Peru 14C DB
   • PLOS ONE

6. Asana shows highland–valley forager lifeways in the south

   Jan 1, 8500 BCELabels: Asana, Highland valley

   • Asana Wiki
   • Peru 14C DB

7. Evidence grows for repeated, seasonal use of puna cave camps

   Jan 1, 7000 BCELabels: Puna caves, Seasonal use

   • Stanford Rick
   • Peru 14C DB

8. Hunter-gatherers expand highland toolkits and site functions

   Jan 1, 6500 BCELabels: High-altitude toolkit, Pucuncho

   • Science PubMed
   • NatGeo

9. Soro Mik'aya Patjxa reflects organized high-altitude residential use

   Jan 1, 6000 BCELabels: Soro Mik'aya, Residential site

   • SMP Wiki

10. People intensify hunting and begin managing camelid herds

    Jan 1, 4400 BCELabels: Telarmachay, Camelid management

    • QSR 2026

11. Highland lifeways become more anchored to local resources

    Jan 1, 4000 BCELabels: Highland adaptation, Camelid reliance

    • Peru 14C DB
    • QSR 2026

12. By ~6,000 BP, a foundation is set for later Andean herding societies

    Jan 1, 4000 BCELabels: Andean foundation, Herding origins

    • Science PubMed
    • QSR 2026