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Discover the history of this region before the Spanish Conquest in 1536.
Have met all backgrounds to venture into the lifestyle of the original inhabitants of this area. A good way to start is to visit the Archaeological Museum of La Serena and has an excellent collection of items from pre-history onwards. The museum contains over 25,000 pieces of great value and can be divided into three categories: pre-historic pottery from various cultures (El Molle 300 ac.-Las Animas 700 DC.-1000 DC., Diaguitas1000 DC-1470 DC Inca and Diaguita 1470 DC-1536 DC. 700 DC.
It also has ethnographic files that include a large collection of photographs and documents about the region. Also displays an impressive original Moai of Easter Island. 
Prehistoric archaeological sites are invaluable for keeping track of the first dinosaurs that inhabited this area as Pichasca National Monument, near the city of Ovalle, with matching dinosaur vertebrae and is a petrified forest of 70 million years ago with some trees still retain their cell structure. Moreover, the visit to the Valley of Enchantment is also a scientific and archaeological value as it was a great amphitheater for religious ceremonies and is now an outdoor museum with petroglyphs showing masks tiaras, sun symbols, drawings shaped fish and snakes and pictographs made with natural paints, as well as holes in the rocks known as "stone cups, used to grind grain and prepare the paint.
Other archaeological sites are named below.
Pichasca 
It is located 56 kms. northeast of Ovalle. Important paleontological and archaeological area dominated fossil remains of plants and petrified. He was a former seat of the Inca. Natural Monument, located to the northeast on a hill that rises north of the river Hurtado.
Beautiful village with adobe church, painted in blue and with the tower to one side. You can visit the Petrified Forest of palaeontological value, fossils of dinosaurs, and titanosaurs alero rock or stone house, occupied by humans 10,000 years ago, declared a National Monument. The park has 128 hectares. and vegetation along the river valley Hurtado. Interestingly, the wing rock called "Casa de Piedra" which provides a characteristic example of prehistoric refuge; anthropological events in and around Pichasca.
Quilimarí Valley 
It is located 30 kms. south of Ovalle. Fertile valley that holds cultural events of pre-Columbian times, such as handicrafts, pottery and petroglyphs.
Valley watered by the river Quilimarí, which rises in the reservoir and empties Culimo to one side of Pichidangui. On the town with the same name and his old church.
4 kms. towards the road over the bridge Quilimarí tall pillars and 5, to save the deep gorge that the river has eroded the coastal terrace. Noteworthy is a weaving craft with the genuine and prehistoric valley Choapa. A 16 kms. the interior is Guanguali, picturesque town noted for its utilitarian pottery that ranges from bright red to black. 5 kms. there is Los Condores museum where there are petroglyphs and pottery stone evoking a pre-Columbian culture.
Valley of Enchantment 
Located 19 kms. west of Ovalle. Zone 5 kms. located in a ravine, which has petroglyphs, pictographs and stone cups, demonstrations cave cultures that inhabited the area for over 2000 years. It was an area of hunters and herders.
The petroglyphs represent faces with plumes and ornaments on the head can be ovoid or semicircular, with geometric motifs. The main decorative element is the human figure in motion, the technique used in the stone engraving is deep and rough.
The pictographs are red wavy or broken lines showing in shape.
Cup stone or mortar are presented in three varieties, with diameters between 10 to 15 cm. and 4 to 8 cm. deep.
El Molle 
Located 34 kms. east of La Serena. Small village known for its archaeological remains and for its production of typical sweets. Is interesting to know the craft workshop "Rupalí. The people with inns, restaurants and campsites, all with pool service.
Beautiful village at the side of the river Elqui. next to the square of its old adobe church and the typical peasant. It is known for its sweet fig and papaya.
In this place were the first archaeological pre-Diaguitas, El Molle Culture baptized.
Furthermore, in the village there is a recreation park with picnic facilities and swimming pool, apart from traditional products such as jams, syrups, pies and sweet children.
Source of information. http://www.chile.com/tpl/articulo/detalle/ver.tpl?cod_articulo=891 http://www.ingservtur.cl/arqueologiaregioncoquimbo.html
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