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MESOAMERICA - CENTRAL ANDES RELATIONSHIP
By Ross Christensen. From the University Archaeological Society
Newsletter #67 7 July 1960
Where did the mighty civilizations of the Incas and their predecessors come from, and
what do they have to do with those of the Nephite scripture? Did the ancient peoples of
western South America have any blood
relationship to those of the Book of
Mormon?
Let us examine some external evidences
bearing on the question of whether
Book of Mormon peoples from
Mesoamerica reached Peru. By
"external" we refer to archaeological
and related materials. Let us make a few
typological comparisons, that is,
compare things found in Mesoamerica
with those found in the Central Andes,
for if ancient Mesoamericans actually
migrated to Peru many similarities must
eventually be discovered.
As to physical type, that is, the form of
the human beings themselves, there is
good reason to believe that there is an
affinity between the populations of the
Peruvian area and those of
Mesoamerica. Some of them, at least,
are rather close in physical type.
There has been something done by way of comparing the languages of Mesoamerica with
those of Peru. As you may realize the linguistic picture in the New World is exceedingly
complex. Some authorities have proposed that certain languages of Peru are similar to
and have a common origin with certain Mesoamerican tongues.
(Comparisons between the Andean area and Mesoamerica, both as to physical type and
languages, are still wide-open fields to which a great deal of intensive effort by both
Latter-day Saint and other students may well be devoted.)
As to culture traits, or customs, there are a number of obvious similarities between
Mesoamerica and the Central Andes. For example, the subsistence patterns of the two
areas were similar in many respects. They were both based on intensive agriculture.
Heavy populations, made possible by such agriculture, were involved in both cases. In
both cases, irrigation was practiced wherever it was appropriate. And, as pointed out
previously, the subsistence patterns in these two areas on the one hand were distinctly
different from those of the remainder of the Americas on the other.
The social organization of the Central Andean and Mesoamerican areas was similar at
many points. In both cases there was a strong tendency toward centralized government
under kings. In most other outlying areas government and society are not anywhere near
that complicated. Instead, we find chieftaincies in some areas and in others, simple
bands. In Utah, for example, aboriginal social organization did not even involve actual
chiefs, not in a hereditary sense at least. In the Eskimo area the social organization is
very simple, extremely different from that of Mesoamerica and the Central Andes. In
those two areas of high civilization there was a tendency toward setting up a rigid class
system in which there were various levels, such as kings, lords, nobles, commoners, and
slaves.
The subject of ceramics is a complex and intriguing one. (Ceramics include all articles
made of baked clay, whether containers, which we call pottery, or non-containers, such as
figurines, spindle whorls, and masks. ) There are two places in the Andean area where
strong resemblance has been observed between the ceramics of that place and those of
Mesoamerica of Pre-classic (Book of Mormon) times. One of these is the Esmeraldas
coast of northern Ecuador. Following is a partial list of similarities between the ceramics
found there and those of Mesoamerica (A. L. Kroeber in American Antiquity, Vol. 14,
No. 2, pp. 139-140, in a review of Raoul d'Harcourt, Archeologie de la Provinced'
Esmeraldas, Equateur): clay fillets and buttons, flower-pot-shaped bowl, shoe shaped
bowl, tripod bowl, high pedestal bowl, incising of small bowls, numerous figurines,
seated figurines with forearm across knees or up, atlantean figurines, human face in jaws
of feline, pads or cornucopia on side of head, "Neapolitan coiffure," coffee-bean eyes,
necklace knotted with loose ends down chest, plaited screen on back, men's pubic apron
from belt or string, 5 or 6 holes in edge of ear, numerous animal figurines, pottery masks,
mirrors of pyrites, and mirror receptacle in shape of feline.
There are thus some clear resemblances between the ceramics of the Esmeraldas coast of
Ecuador and those of Mesoamerica.
The other place which is important in this connection is northern Peru. The earliest
discovered civilization there is called "Chavin. " There are a number of significant
resemblances between the pottery and art motifs of that civilization and those of
Preclassic civilizations of Mesoamerica. The site of Tlatilco in the Valley of Mexico is
important in this connection (Muriel Noe Porter, Tlatilco and the PreClassic Cultures of
the New World, pp. 78-79):
The Chavin period of the Andean Pre-Classic horizon shares numerous elements with
Tlatilco. These include artificial head deformation, stirrup-spouted vessel forms, zoned
decoration of pottery in a singular style, excising and rocker-stamping as decorative
techniques, and the concept of dualism. The feline motif so characteristic of Chavin
style, is equally important in the Olmec culture of Mexico which exercised considerable
influence over Tlatilco. Also shared are minor features such as clay stamps, handmodeled figurines, mirrors and whistling vessels. In some cases the specific
resemblances are remarkable. For example, certain sherds from the two areas are similar
enough in decoration, finish and composition as to be easily confused.
It is thus clear, from these two instances, that there is some sort of historical connection
between the ceramics of Mesoamerica and those of the Central Andes and presumable
therefore between the ancient peoples of the two areas.
Architecture is another interesting point of comparison. In both cases the typical
:arrangement is for the city to be grouped around the ceremonial or religious center,
which is built on an artificial raised platform. Each temple or sanctuary within the center
is built upon a further raised platform called a temple pyramid or altar-mound. In both
cases the ground plan is rectangular. In both cases there is often a walled courtyard out in
front.
There are also a number of arbitrary comparisons between the two areas in the field of
religion. The important feline motif (the puma or cougar in South America, the jaguar in
Mesoamerica), shows up again and again in the religious art of both areas. It represented
the ancient Rain and Life God of Mesoamerica, who in the opinion of some LDS scholars
was the resurrected Christ of Third Nephi.
You have undoubtedly heard of this Fair God of Mesoamerica, the one whom the Aztecs
called Quetzalcoatl, the god of priesthood and learning, who was conceived of a virgin
after she was breathed upon by the Creator God, who was born among mortals, and who
went away to the east and promised to return at some prophetic date in the future.
In South America also, but particularly in the Central Andean area, there is a parallel to
this Fair God. The name there is Viracocha. The Inca Garcilasso de la Vega describes
him as "... a man of good stature, with a long beard... in a wide loose robe like a cassock,
reaching to the feet" (Royal Commentaries of the Ynacs, Vol. 2, p. 70. Translated by C.
R. Markham). He was speaking of a certain idol of that deity that existed south of Cuzco.
Others mention having seen the same statue in the early days of the Spanish conquest.
Route and Dates of Migrations. And now a word as to the route and means of the
migrations from Mesoamerica to the Central Andean area of South America: They
undoubtedly took place by means of seagoing craft sailed along the western or Pacific
coast of the intervening territory. I much prefer this view to the theory that the contact
was by land; the overland theory seems very difficult to me.
Conclusion. The question has been asked, "Did Book of Mormon peoples reach Peru?"
My answer is yes. Book of Mormon peoples, that is, colonists from Mesoamerica, did
reach the coasts of Ecuador and Peru. The ancient civilized peoples of those countries
were therefore Book of Mormon peoples, even though the actual events of the Book took
place in MesoAmerica.
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