Archaeology Dictionary:
Initial Period
[CP]
General term representing one of the seven main chronological subdivisions used in Andean archaeology in South America, referring to the period c.1800–900 bc. At this time settlement appears to have shifted its focus from the coast to inland riverine situations, pottery was introduced, and both agriculture and animal husbandry began to be practised. Monumental architecture appeared in coastal Peru. The Initial Period was a time of cultural heterogeneity, predating the Formative Stage.
