Andean and Chavin Civilizations Article
The Andean civilizations were complicated societies of numerous cultures and peoples mainly developed in the river valleys of the coastal deserts of Peru. They extended from the Andes of southern Colombia southward down the Andes to Chile and northwest Argentina.
Archaeologists presume that Andean civilizations primarily developed on the narrow coastal plain of the Pacific Ocean. The Caral or Norte Chico civilization of Peru is the ancient known civilization in the Americas, dating back to 3200 BCE.
The Chavín culture is an extinct, pre-Columbian civilization, named for Chavín de Huántar, the principal archaeological site at which its artifacts have been found. The culture developed in the northern Andean highlands of Peru from 900 BCE to 200 BCE. It stretched its influence to other civilizations along the coast.
This page discusses the Andean and Chavin civilizations article, which covers the Caral Norte Chico civilization and in detail about the Andean Civilization Timeline.
Chavin Culture - Ancient South American Culture
The Chavín people (whose name for themselves is still not known) were located in the Mosna Valley where the Mosna and Huachecsa rivers merge. This area is 3,150 metres (10,330 ft) above sea level and encompasses the Quechua, suni, and puna life zones.
Stages of Development: Andean and Chavin Civilizations
Urabarriu lasted from 900-500 BCE, and only a few hundred people lived at Chavín de Huantar. Ceramics were prompted by different cultures, and the humans grew a few maize and potatoes. Chakinani, from 500-400 BCE, was a transitional time, while residents migrated to the ceremonial center. From 400-250 BCE, Jarabarriu noticed an exponential boom in population, with an urban/suburban sample of settlement.
Society
Chavín had a small, effective elite that was legitimized via a claim to divine authority. These shamans have been capable of manage and impacting residents (probable in part via the use of psychotropic drugs), and were capin a position to devise and perform the production of temples and stone-walled galleries.
Architecture
The chief example of Chavín architecture is the Chavín de Huántar temple. The temple’s layout indicates complicated innovation to evolve to the highland surroundings of Peru. To prevent flooding and the demolition of the temple during the rainy season, the Chavín people created a successful drainage system with canals under the temple structure; the rushing water in the course of the rainy season feels like one of the Chavín’s sacred animals, the jaguar.
Economic Activity
The Chavín people confirmed superior expertise in acoustics, metallurgy, soldering, and temperature manage to house the wet season. The Chavín were additionally skilled in growing subtle goldwork and used early techniques of melting metal and soldering.
The Chavín people domesticated camelids, consisting of llamas, which were used as percent animals, and for fiber and meat. The Chavin produced ch’arki, or llama jerky, which was usually traded by camelid herders and was the main monetary useful resource for the Chavín people. They additionally successfully cultivated numerous crops, such as potatoes, quinoa, and maize. They evolved an irrigation system to help the growth of these crops.
Art
Chavín artwork represents the primary widespread, recognizable artistic fashion in the Andes, and may be divided into phases: the primary phase corresponds to the development of the “Old Temple” at Chavín de Huántar (c. 900-500 BCE); the second one phase corresponds to the development of Chavín de Huántar’s “New Temple” (500-200 BCE).
The Old Temple featured the Lanzón, which was housed in an important cruciform chamber in a labyrinth of underground passages. The Lanzón works as an axis Mundi, or a pivoting factor linking the heavens, earth, and underworld.
Chavín artwork adorned the walls of the temple and consists of carvings, sculptures, and pottery. Artists depicted exotic creatures found in different regions, consisting of jaguars and eagles, instead of local plants and animals. The tomcat figure is one of the most vital motifs seen in Chavín's artwork.
It has a vital religious meaning and is repeated on many carvings and sculptures. Eagles also are commonly visible throughout Chavín's artwork. It was deliberately hard to interpret and understand as it was supposed to be examined by the excessive priests alone.
The Tello Obelisk is a large sculpted shaft adorned with pictures of plants, animals, such as caymans and birds, and humans, which can be portraying an advent myth. Tenon heads are massive stone carvings of fanged jaguar heads, found on the tops of indoor walls in Chavín de Huantar.
Influence
Chavín had a wide-ranging influence, with its artwork and architecture styles spreading for miles around. There is little proof of war in Chavín relics; instead, residents were probably managed by an aggregate of religious pressure and environmental conditions.
Andean Civilization Timeline
3000 BCE
The llama and the alpaca, two South American members of the camel family, are domesticated.
Complex societies, with sophisticated temple architecture, develop at sites such as Aspero and Caral in the Norte Chico region of Peru.
2500 BCE
At Huaca Prieta, the earliest known farming community in South America, squash, gourds, and chili are cultivated.
2000 BCE
Medicine men in Peru practise trephination, cutting holes in the skulls of brave or foolhardy patients.
900 BCE
Chávin de Huántar becomes the centre of the first civilization of south America.
300 BCE - CE 100
The people of Paracas, a coastal region of central Peru, create extremely sophisticated fabrics of woven cotton or vicuña wool
200 BCE
The earth drawings of the Nazca people, known now as the Nazca Lines, are some of the largest works of art ever created.
The Mochica develop a civilization, in the north of modern Peru, known for its realistic pottery sculpture.
200
The potato is cultivated in the Peruvian Andes.
700
The quipu is used in the Wari culture and becomes the standard recording device of the Andean civilizations.
800
Batán Grande, in northern Peru, becomes a great pilgrimage centre in the Sican culture.
900
Chan Chan, today the largest of the ruined Andean cities, dominates the entire length of Peru.
1000
The Inca ethnic group migrates into the region of the Cuzco valley in Peru.
1438
After a decisive victory over the Chanca people, a young Inca prince seizes the throne in Peru and takes the name Pachacuti.
1440
Cuzco, the city of the Incas, grows rapidly in power after Pachacuti ('transformer of the earth') becomes emperor.
1450
The massive architecture of the Incas, consisting of finely dressed irregular blocks of stone, becomes a feature of Cuzco.
The most sacred of the Inca divinities, Punchao, is symbolized by a great golden disc representing the sun.
1463
The Chimu empire in Peru is conquered by the Incas under the leadership of Pachacuti's son Topa.
1471
Topa succeeds his father, Pachacuti, as emperor of the Incas.
1487
The Inca empire is extended to the north, and a second capital is established at Quito.
1493
On Topa's death, his son Huayna Capac succeeds to the throne as Inca emperor.
1500
Even the remote city of Machu Picchu, on its peak above the jungle, is built in the massively precise Inca style of masonry.
The female mamakuna and the male yanakuna are selected in childhood to serve the Inca state.
The Inca empire has about 25,000 miles of well-serviced roads, designed for caravans of llamas.
In Cuzco's great temple, the sacrifices are usually of llamas, occasionally of humans.
1525
The Inca emperor, Huayna Capac, dies in an epidemic of a western disease, smallpox.
Ruling respectively from Cuzco and Quito, Huáscar and Atahualpa compete for the empire of their father, Huayna Capac.
1530
Francisco Pizarro sails from Panama to attempt the conquest of Peru.
Atahualpa defeats and kills his half-brother Huáscar, thus winning control of the entire Inca empire.
1531
Francisco Pizarro leads 168 men, with about 30 horses, into the territory of the Inca empire.
1532
Pizarro and his tiny force ambush and massacre the Inca court in Cajamarca, capturing Atahualpa himself alive.
Atahualpa agrees to buy his freedom from the Spaniards with a room full of gold and another of silver.
1533
Although the ransom has been paid, Atahualpa is executed by the Spaniards - who ensure that he dies a Christian.
The Spanish conquistadors capture and sack the Inca capital of Cuzco, high in the Andes.
1536
Manco Inca begins a siege of the Spaniards in Cuzco that lasts for a year.
1537
With the end of the siege of Cuzco, and the flight of Manco Inca, the Spanish have full control of Peru.
Mochica and Nazca: 200 BC - AD 600
After the decline of Chavín de Huántar, the Andean area develops numerous greater localised cultures. Of these, the two most or one of a kind is the Mochica in the north and the Nazca to the south.
The Mochica, focused upon Moche at the coast in northern Peru, is recognised specifically for brilliantly practical pottery sculpture - normally depictions of human heads (in all likelihood even portraits), functioning as jugs with stirrup-formed spouts rising from the top. The Mochica also are bold builders. The so-referred to as Temple of the Sun at Moche is a stepped pyramid with a top of 41 metres. It is built absolutely of unfired bricks, dried in the sun.
Contemporary with the Mochica, however inhabiting a barren region vicinity alongside the southern coast of Peru, are the Nazca. They are referred to for his or her brightly colored pottery and for classy textiles, with shiny embroidery.
The maximum high-quality thing in their way of life is so-referred to as Nazca Lines. These are drawings done on a huge scale at the coastal plain. Sometimes merely geometrical, every so often formal variations of chook or animal shapes, the photographs are completed via way of means of casting off the brown floor of the apparent to expose lighter soil beneath. The motive of those large drawings (excellent considered in a manner the Nazca in no way noticed them, from the air) stays unknown.
Did You Know?
The renowned archaeological site for the Chavín culture is Chavín de Huántar is located in the Andean highlands of the contemporary-day Ancash Region.
Also, it is assumed to have been constructed around 900 BCE and was the religious and political core of the Chavín people. Also, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Below you can see the image of the same:
(Image will be uploaded soon) (Image will be uploaded soon)
The Chavín way of life eventually spreads via a great deal of the Andean vicinity. This stone sculpture has notable beasts, of which serpents, birds, and jaguars regularly offer the factor details.
The major Chavín ceremonial site, the amazing Chavín de Huántar, is set 10,000 toes above sea stage in Peru's Cordillera Blanca. Its temple architecture, all started in approximately 900 BC is characterised by massive raised platforms. They are shaped from huge blocks of dressed stone, withinside the starting of a protracted Peruvian tradition.
The Caral Civilization (additionally Caral-Supe civilization, or Caral Norte Chico civilization) was a complicated pre-Columbian-era society that included as many as thirty major population facilities in what is now the Caral region of north-central coastal Peru.
Below is the image of Norte chico civilization:
(Image will be uploaded soon)
Key Points on Andean and Chavin Civilizations Timeline
Below are the key takeaways on Andean And Chavin Civilizations:
The Chavín civilization evolved in the northern Andean highlands of Peru between 900-250 BCE.
There were 3 ranges of development: Urabarriu (900-500 BCE), Chakinani (500-400 BCE), and Jarabarriu (400-250 BCE).
Chavín had a small, effective elite that was legitimized via a declare of divine authority.
The leader instance of Chavín architecture is the Chavín de Huántar temple, the layout of which shows a complicated and innovative variation to the highland environment of Peru.
The Chavín people confirmed superior know-how of acoustics, metallurgy, soldering, and temperature control. One of their principal economic resources was ch’arki, or llama jerky.
Chavín artwork represents the first widespread, recognizable artistic fashion in the Andes, and may be divided into phases: the primary phase corresponds to the development of the “Old Temple” at Chavín de Huántar (c. 900-500 BCE); the second segment corresponds to the construction of Chavín de Huántar’s “New Temple” (c. 500-200 BCE).
Significant portions of art encompass the Lanzón, Tello Obelisk, and tenon heads.
FAQs on Andean and Chavin Civilizations
1. What are the Andean civilizations?
The Andean civilizations were a group of complex and diverse societies that developed in the Andes mountains and coastal river valleys of western South America, primarily in modern-day Peru. These cultures, such as the Chavín, Moche, Nazca, and later the Inca, flourished for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. They are renowned for their monumental architecture, sophisticated agriculture, and unique artistic traditions. For more details, you can read about the various Andean civilizations that shaped the region.
2. Where and when did the Chavín civilization flourish?
The Chavín civilization developed in the northern Andean highlands of Peru. It flourished from approximately 900 BCE to 250 BCE. Its cultural and religious influence radiated from its primary ceremonial centre, Chavín de Huántar, a significant archaeological site located in the Mosna River Valley.
3. What were the most important achievements of the Chavín civilization?
The Chavín civilization is recognised for several significant achievements that influenced subsequent cultures. Key accomplishments include:
Advanced Metallurgy: They were skilled in working with gold, creating sophisticated alloys and decorative ornaments that demonstrated advanced soldering and hammering techniques.
Monumental Stone Carving: They produced iconic stone monuments like the Lanzón stela and the Raimondi Stele, which feature complex carvings of their deities.
Widespread Artistic and Religious Influence: They established a powerful religious iconography featuring jaguars, eagles, and snakes, which became a unifying cultural force across a wide region, often called a 'cultural horizon'.
Agricultural Engineering: They developed drainage and irrigation canal systems to cultivate crops like maize, potatoes, and quinoa in the challenging mountain environment.
4. How did the Chavín civilization influence later Andean cultures without building an empire?
The Chavín's influence was not based on military conquest but on the power of its religious ideology and art. It functioned as a 'cultural horizon,' where its distinct artistic style, religious symbols, and architectural designs were adopted and adapted by other groups across the Andes. This cultural diffusion happened through trade networks and the travel of pilgrims to ceremonial centres like Chavín de Huántar. Later civilizations, such as the Moche and Nazca, incorporated Chavín motifs and concepts into their own traditions, demonstrating its long-lasting cultural legacy.
5. What was the connection between religion and art in Chavín society?
In Chavín society, art and religion were deeply intertwined. Art was the primary medium for expressing their complex cosmology and religious beliefs. Intricate carvings on stone, bone, and pottery depicted their powerful deities, who were often composite figures of humans and animals like jaguars, eagles, and serpents. This art was not merely decorative; it was a central part of religious rituals, likely used by a powerful priestly elite to legitimise their authority and mediate between the physical and supernatural worlds.
6. Why is the Chavín civilization's status as a 'mother culture' of the Andes debated?
The Chavín was once considered the 'mother culture' of the Andes, meaning it provided the foundation for all later complex societies. However, this view is now debated because of the discovery of earlier complex societies, such as the Norte Chico civilization (c. 3000 BCE). While the Chavín were not the first, their widespread cultural and religious system was so influential that it created the first major period of regional unification. Therefore, many historians now prefer to call it a pivotal 'cultural horizon' rather than a singular 'mother culture'.
7. What theories explain the decline of the Chavín civilization?
The decline of the Chavín civilization around 250 BCE was likely a gradual process rather than a single event. There is no evidence of a violent overthrow. Instead, historians believe the collapse was caused by a combination of factors, including:
Environmental Change: Severe droughts or El Niño events may have disrupted the agricultural systems that supported the population and the authority of the priests.
Rise of Regional Centres: The centralised religious ideology began to weaken as local communities developed their own, more distinct cultures and belief systems, leading to cultural fragmentation.
Social Upheaval: As the priestly elite failed to prevent environmental disasters, their authority may have waned, leading to a breakdown of the existing social structure.
