Wari culture in the context of Cerro Pátapo

The Wari Empire or Huari Empire was a political formation that emerged around 600 in Peru's Ayacucho Basin and grew to cover much of coastal and highland Peru. The empire lasted for about 500 years, until 1100. It existed during the same era as the Tiwanaku culture, and at one time, was thought to have been derived from it.

In 2008, archeologists found a pre-Columbian city, the Northern Wari ruins (also called Cerro Pátapo) near modern Chiclayo. The find was the first extensive settlement related to the Wari culture discovered that far north. Archaeological discoveries have continued over the past decade. In 2023, archaeologists discovered a 1200-year-old Wari ritual complex in Arequipa. While more discoveries are being made regarding the Wari Empire, archaeologists are able to draw more conclusions about the Wari Empire's culture.

The Cerro Pátapo ruins or Northern Wari ruins are the remains of a pre-Columbian city near the site of present-day Chiclayo, Peru. The ruins are primarily of the Wari (Huari) culture, which flourished from 350 CE to 1000 CE in the area along the coast and reaching to the highlands. These northern Wari ruins are distinguished from the Wari ruins in the Ayacucho Region to the south.

The discovery was announced on 16 December 2008 by the lead archeologist, Cesar Soriano. The ruins both present the first evidence of Wari influence found in Northern Peru and by their quality and extent, shows that this was an important site. Located 14 miles (23 kilometres) from Chiclayo, the ruins stretch over an area of 3 miles (4.8 kilometres).

Pikillaqta (Quechua piki flea, llaqta a place (village, town, community, country, nation), "flea place", also spelled Piki Llacta, Pikillacta, Piquillacta, Piquillaqta) is a large Wari culture archaeological site 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Cusco in the Quispicanchi Province.

Pikillaqta is a village of the Wari people. Wari was the centre village and other cities like Pikillaqta were influenced by it. The Wari also inhabited many other sites around the area. The site was occupied from about 550 to 1100 AD. Its main use was for ceremonies and the site was not complete when it was abandoned.

Cohoba is a Taíno transliteration for a ceremony in which the ground seeds of the cojóbana tree (Anadenanthera spp.) were used as a snuff via a Y-shaped snuff tube. Use of this substance produced a visionary or entheogenic effect. The cojóbana tree is believed by some to be Anadenanthera peregrina although it may have been a generalized term for psychotropics, including the quite toxic Datura and related genera (Solanaceae). The corresponding ceremony using cohoba-laced tobacco is transliterated as cojibá. This was said to have produced the sense of a visionary journey of the kind associated with the practice of shamanism.

The practice of snuffing cohoba was popular with the Taínos with whom Christopher Columbus made contact. However, the use of Anadenanthera powder was widespread in South America, being used in ancient times by the Wari culture and Tiwanaku of Peru and Bolivia, and also by the Piaroa of Venezuela and Colombia, and the Yanomami of Brazil and Venezuela. Other names for cohoba include vilca, cebíl, ñuá and yopó. In Tiwanaku culture, a snuff tray was used along with an inhalation tube.