Pachacámac was the main sanctuary of the central coast for more than thousand years and their temples were visited by crowds of pilgrims on the occasion of the great Andean rituals, as Pachacámac was a successful oracle able to predict the future and control movements of the earth. People from all the Andes also came to the sanctuary of Pachacámac in search of solutions to their problems or answers to their doubts.
The word Pachacámac means "soul of the earth, the one who animates the world". Ancient Peruvians believed that a single movement of his head would cause earthquakes. He could not be looked directly yo his eyes, The cult of Pachacámac was the center of all coastal religion.
The sanctuary is located in the valley of Lurin. The first occupations date from the Archaic period (5000 BC); then, in the Formative period (1800 BC - 200 BC), Mina Perdida, Cardal and Manchay stand out; In the Late Formative (200 BC - 200 AD) there are different local styles such as Tablada de Lurín and Villa El Salvador.
From archaeological data provided by investigations, we know that occupation of the Archaelogical Sanctuary of Pachacámac began in the Late Formative, because in pampas located in front of monumental zone there is a cemetery corresponding to people who probably lived dedicated to fishing, agriculture and hills exploitation. Ceramics, called El Panel style, includes sculptural bottles shaped as birds and felines. These ancient settlers also excelled in making copper artifacts.
In the period of the Regional Developments (200-600 AD), Lima culture was developed and distributed along central coast in adjoining valleys of Chancay, Chillón, Rímac and Lurín. Construction of the sanctuary began in this period, being Pachacámac the most important center of the Lurín valley.
From 600 to 1100 AD C. evidences of the Wari empire are concentrated in Pachacámac. Apocalypse of Pachacámac oracle occurred precisely during Middle Horizon - Wari period, when it became a religious center that attracted a large number of pilgrims, reaching a first Panandian splendor. From this period dates an extensive cemetery, excavated by Max Uhle in 1896, which is at the foot and below the Pachacámac Temple, as well as a series of ceramic offerings found in the area.
Around 1100 AD, Ychma established their center of power in Pachacamac, with a series of housing and administrative settlements that include pyramids with ramps, among others, standing out Tijerales, Quebrada Golondrina, Pacae Redondo and Panquilma, in the Lurín valley. In 1470 the Incas had established in Pachacámac an important provincial capital where buildings like The Temple of The Sun and The Acllawasi stood out, among others. Religious importance of Pachacámac was added as one of the main administrative centers of coast during this period.
Upon Spaniards Arrival, in 1533, Pachacámac was the most important sanctuary on the coast, as accounts of chroniclers claim. Abandonment of the sanctuary of Pachacámac dates from the time of the Colony.
Leading researchers such as Max Uhle, Julio C. Tello, Arturo Jiménez Borja, Izumi Shimada and Denise Pozzi-Escot (director of the Pachacámac Site Museum, (MSPAC), among others) have contributed important research to understand the sanctuary.
Currently, the Ministry of Culture, continues to develop a series of research and conservation to contribute to knowledge and dissemination of such important archaeological heritage.