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
 Mountain
 Arid
Core (Andes Mountains)
costal plain
 Dense
interior jungles
Andes Mountains of Peru
Agricultural Terraces in the
Foothills of Peru
Coastal Plains of Peru
Interior Jungles of Peru
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
Mollusks: abalone, clams, oysters,
snails
Mollusks cont.: octopus, squid
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
Caral in the Supe Valley
Caral in the Supe Valley
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)
Chavin de Hunatar
(a World Heritage Site)
Chavin de Huantar Plaza
Underground Chamber

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)
Quinoa
Coca Leaves
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
Chavin de Huantar Temple
Columns of the Temple
Water Ditch in Chavin de Huantar
Carved Pillar & Stone Face Inside
and Outside the Temple
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:
a) Large complex of multilevel platforms
b) Small buildings on the platforms (rituals
or elite residences)
c) Construction materials: packed earth,
rubble, cut stone, or adobe (sun-dried
clay bricks & straw)
d) 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: jaguarman (similar to the Olmec symbol)
3) Pottery styles:
Chavin Religious Beliefs
 Jaguar-man
 An
A
enduring image of religious authority
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
Chavin Textiles
Chavin Gold Jewelry
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