Fashion in the Early Andean Civilizations

Published: July 28, 2026 · Updated: July 28, 2026

In the Early Andean civilisations the textile tradition reached its first peak; the Paracas people wrapped their dead in magnificent, brightly embroidered mantles that survive after two thousand years.

Fashion in the Early Andean Civilizations — Author: Paracas embroidered mantle, Peru (5th–2nd c BC) CC0 Source

Overview

In this age of cultures such as Chavín and Paracas, textiles stood at the centre of religion and authority.

Key garments and style

Using alpaca wool and cotton, the Paracas people wove rectangular mantles embroidered in coloured thread with mythological figures. People wore the tunic (unku) and a mantle, with shell and gold ornaments. Buried in the dry coast, the textiles are remarkably well preserved.

Transition

In the age of regional states, weaving and iconography developed further under the Moche, Nazca and Wari.

History of this period

Early Andean civilizations c. 1800 BC–AD 200