The Chavin civilization is one of the great pre-Columbian cultures of Peru. It emerged in the northern Andean highlands in today’s Huari province in the Ancash region around 1200 BC. While for the first few hundreds of years the Chavin society was limited to the Andean region where they developed, later their influence spread to other civilizations along the Peruvian coast, including today’s Lima, leaving a significant impact on the area.

After the decline of the Chavin, a new civilization arose in the area of today’s Lima around 150 AD which brought significant progress and changes to the region. The Maranga Culture, also known as the Lima Culture, at first inhabited only the area of today's districts of Callao, La Punta, Bellavista and La Perla. However, adapting and refining the agricultural and irrigation knowledge of the Chavin, they improved the usage of available resources, which allowed them to cater for a bigger population and expand their influence.

The Wari, also known as Huari, had their origin in the Ayacucho region. Being presumably the first culture to use military force to conquer the surrounding civilizations, they soon reigned over much of the highlands and coast of modern Peru. The Wari subdued all other cultures forbidding any practice of former traditions. They settled at strategically important points of the empire, at ceremonial and administrative centers and places with natural resources.