Peru as loose confederation of cities scattered along the coast of northern Peru and southern Ecuador, the Chimu flourished from about 1140 to 1450. Their capital was at Chan Chan outside of modern-day Trujillo. In the highlands, both the Tiahuanaco culture, near Lake Titicaca in both Peru and Bolivia, and the Wari culture, near the present-day city of Ayacucho, developed large urban settlements and wide-ranging state systems between 500 and 1000 AD. In the 15th century, the Incas emerged as a powerful state which, in the span of a century, formed the largest empire in pre-Columbian America with their capital in
The Millennium Bell namely the ethnic percussion, "Pacha Mama" was based on the music of Incas – Mike Oldfield paid a visit to Peru – and, in a broader sense, refers to Native Americans (both in North and South America) in pre-Columbian era, before another important year in human history – the year 1492. "Santa Maria" – taking its name from Christopher Columbus' flagship, "Santa Maria" – is about the age of exploration; it depicts the discovery of America by the Europeans. The most important part of this track is the quasi-sacral choir vocal, reminding of the religious background behind the journey. The