AP World History
POD #5 – People of
the Western
Hemisphere
Olmec & Chavin
Class Discussion
Notes
“First Civilizations of the Americas:
The Olmec and Chavin, 1200 –
250 B.C.E.”
Bulliet et. al. – pp, 72-77
Migration to the Western
Hemisphere
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Old Theory – humans reached the Western Hemisphere
through a series of migrations across the Bering land
bridge connecting modern day Siberia and Alaska
New Theory – there is increasing speculation that sea
travel was also a part of this migration pattern
Most scholars accept that this process dates to between
18,000 and 14,000 B.C.E
The compilation of this information indicates that the
peoples in the Western Hemisphere were virtually
isolated for at least 15,000 years
Mesoamerican Geography
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Modern day Mexico and Central America
Extremely active volcanic and earthquake activity
Mountain ranges break the region into a multitude of
microenvironments ranging from the temperate climates
of the Valley of Mexico to the tropical rainforests along
the coast of the Gulf of Mexico
As a result of these environment niches the Amerindian
peoples in these regions developed specialized
technologies that exploited indigenous plants and
animals
Early settlements depended on the region’s rich plant
diversity and on fishing
“Three Sisters”
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Maize (Corn), Beans & Squash
The basic staples of the diet were domesticated
“The ability of farmers to produce dependable surpluses of these
products permitted the first stages of craft specialization and social
stratification. Eventually, contacts across environmental boundaries
led to trade and cultural exchange. Enhanced trade, increasing
agricultural productivity, and rising population led, in turn, to
urbanization and the gradual appearance of powerful political and
religious elites. As religious and political elites emerged, they used
their prestige and authority to organize the population to dig
irrigation and drainage canals, develop raised fields in wetlands that
could be farmed more intensively, and construct monumental
religious and civic buildings.” (Bulliet, p. 73)
Olmec (1200 – 400 B.C.E)
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Located near the tropical Atlantic coast in present day Mexico
The absence of a known written language makes acquiring
information about these people difficult
San Lorenzo (1200-900 B.C.E) earliest urban center
La Venta – developed about the same time but became the most
important urban center after 900 B.C.E. when San Lorenzo was
either abandoned or destroyed
Tres Zapotes – the last dominant urban center rising to prominence
after La Venta was destroyed or collapsed circa 600 B.C.E.
Little evidence exists to support a claim that these were either rival
city-states or dependent centers of a centralized political authority
Scholars are uncertain of a reason to explain the destruction of
these cities – some believe they were attacked by enemy invaders
while others believe the monument destruction happened upon the
death of a king
Olmec Economics
Evidence suggests that each urban center
developed independently in an attempt to
capitalize on the exchange of specialized
products
 Items traded – salt, cacao (chocolate
bean), clay for ceramics, limestone
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Olmec Society
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There was a clear level of social stratification
Elites lived atop large platforms and mounds of packed
earth
Skilled artisans were employed to decorate the platform
mounds
The direct labor of thousands of commoners from the
settlements surrounding these urban centers were used
to complete low-skill tasks and projects
Merchant class traded with distant peoples for obsidian,
jade and pottery
Olmec Government
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It seems likely that the rise of major urban
centers coincided with the appearance of
a form of kingship that combined religious
and secular roles
Olmec Religion
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Elaborate religious ceremonies and religious rituals were
used to control this complex society
Commoners came to the city to witness and observe
these ceremonies
Rulers and their families came to associated with gods
through blood letting and human sacrifice
Polytheistic
Deities had both male and female natures
Deities were a blend of human and animal
characteristics
Olmec Contributions
Development of a calendar
 Limited technological and agricultural
capacity made it unlikely that the extended
military control over any significant
distance
 Cultural influence spread wide and would
endure for centuries
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Pre-Chavin
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“Recent discoveries demonstrate that as early as 2600 B.C.E the vast site
called Caral in the Supe Valley had developed the characteristics viewed as
the hallmarks of later Andean civilization, including ceremonial plazas,
pyramids, elevated platforms and mounds, and extensive irrigation works”
(Bulliet, p. 75)
Located in the Andes Mountains
Earliest urban centers were villages of a few hundred people built along the
coastal plain or in the foothills near the coast
Abundance of fish and mollusks along the coast provided a dependable
food supply
The introduction of maize increased the food supply and allowed for greater
urbanization
Coastal villages traded fish, shellfish and decorative shells for corn, other
foods, and eventually textiles produced in the villages of the foothills
Chavin (900-250 B.C.E)
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Capital of Chavin de Huantar was located
in the Andes Mountains at an elevation of
10,300 feet north of the modern day city of
Lima, Peru
Chavin Economics
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Located at an intersection of trade routes
allowing the city rulers to organize and prosper
from trade among distinct ecological zones and
gain an advantage over regional rivals
Trade linked the coastal economy with the inland
producers of quinoa (a local grain), corn, and
potatoes, with the herders of llamas in the high
mountain valleys and fruits from the tropical
lowlands
Chavin Society
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Reciprocal labor obligations assisted in the
construction and maintenance of large public
works projects (roads, bridges, temples,
palaces, and irrigation/drainage)
Group organization was organized around
communal land and common descent from
ancestors
Group members viewed each other as brothers
and sisters obligated to providing for each other
Chavin Government
As class distinctions begin to rise evidence
becomes available indicating the rise of
powerful chiefs or kings
 A class of priests evolved to direct
religious life
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Chavin Religion
Regional influence was centered around
its attractive religious belief system and
related rituals
 Most potent religious symbol, a jaguar
deity was dispersed over a broad area and
archeological evidence suggests that
Chavin de Huantar served as a pilgrimage
site
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Chavin Contributions
Metallurgy in the Western Hemisphere first
developed in this region around 500 B.C.E
 Llama domesticated as a beast of burden,
trade vehicle, as well as being used for
wool and a meat source
 Use of the coca leave to deal with the
effects of high altitude living and labor
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