Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. During the reign of the Inca's, the production of pottery in the Andes was an art that had already developed in the region for thousands of years. One characteristic of Inca pottery is that it did not portray the human form, unlike other cultures that thrived before them. They focused more on geometric patterns and shapes and heads of animals. The pottery of the Incas lacked the drama and artistry of the ceramics of earlier civilizations