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Early South American Civilization: The Chavin (1200-250 B.C.E.). Chapter 2 / Section 3 FINISHED!!!. South America. The Chavin in the Andes. The Chavin in the Andes. The Center of the Chavin and there Areas of Influence. “Cleaned-Up” Satellite Image of the Peru. Geography.
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Early South American Civilization: The Chavin(1200-250 B.C.E.) Chapter 2 / Section 3 FINISHED!!!
Geography • Mountain Core (Andes Mountains) • Arid costal plain • Dense interior jungles
Diverse environment • The development of specialized regional production • Complex social institutions • Characteristic cultural values ↓ • Interregional exchanges • Shared labor responsibilities
Earliest Urban Centers: Villages along the coastal plain or in the foothills near the coast Why there? Reasons: 1) Dependable food supply (fish & mollusks) 2) Trade in seafood for corn & textiles → Cultural exchange: ceremonial practices, religious beliefs, & art
Caral in the Supe Valley(2600 B.C.E.) Characteristics considered hallmarks of later Andean civilizations: • Ceremonial plazas • Pyramids • Elevated platforms and mounds • Extensive irrigation works → Population of thousands → Political structure capable of organizing maritime & agricultural trade over a broad area
The Chavin • Early South American civilization • Capital: Chavin de Huantar (cha-BEAN day WAHN-tar) • At an elevation of 13,000 ft • North of today’s city of Lima (today’s capital city of Peru)
Densely populated region • Connected the Peruvian coastal plains, the Andean foothills, & the tropical lowlands of the eastern Andes → Control of trade by Chavin’s political elite → Economic advantage & influence over their rivals → Dominance as a ceremonial & commercial center
So, what made Chavin trade so influential? • Introduction of maize cultivation from Mesoamerica increased food supplies on the coastal plains and the foothills population growth urbanization Chavin grew
As Chavin grew trade b/w the coast and a) the high mountain valleys (quinoa, potatoes, & llamas) b) the jungle (coca leaves & fruits)
The Significance of the Llama • First domesticated in the mountainous interior of Peru • Provided meat, wool, & transportation • Could carry up to 70 lbs (human: 50 lbs) • Promoted specialization of production and increased trade • Llamas to Peru: Camels to trans-Saharan trade
Consequences of trade & urbanization: • Communal work • Reciprocal labor organization ↓ Construction & maintenance of: • Roads, bridges • Temples, palaces • Irrigation, drainage • Textile production
How did reciprocal labor organization work? • Groups of related families • Held land together • Claimed descent from a common ancestor • Referred to one another as brothers and sisters • Obligated to help one another
Material Culture 1) Architectural style: • Large complex of multilevel platforms • Small buildings on the platforms (rituals or elite residences) • Construction materials: packed earth, rubble, cut stone, or adobe (sun-dried clay bricks & straw) • Buildings decorated w/ relief carvings (serpents, condors, jaguars, humans)
2) Metallurgy: a) High-quality, 3D silver, gold, & gold alloy ornaments b) Only used by the elite or in religious rituals c) Most common decorative motif: jaguar-man (similar to the Olmec symbol)
Chavin Religious Beliefs • Jaguar-man • An enduring image of religious authority • A vehicle through which the gods could act in the world of humans
Diffusion of Chavin culture over a wide area: The Chavin must have imposed on their neighbors: • Some form of political integration • Trade dependency ↑ Needed military power to accomplish them.
The Chavin must have also had a convincing religious system and rituals that attracted other people • Chavin de Huantar also served as a pilgrimage site
The Chavin Social Structure • Religious elite: priests • Political elite: king / local chiefs (differences in dress styles: high-quality textiles, gold crowns, breastplates, jewelry) • Skilled artisans
What happened to the Chavin? • No evidence of conquest or rebellion • Historians do not know the exact cause • BUT, they do know: • Increased warfare in the region (at around 200 B.C.E) • Disrupted trade & undermined the authority of the political elite