Americas 8000 BCE – 600 CE
Unit 1 Section 5
The Western Hemisphere
• Human beings had migrated to the Western
Hemisphere from Asia by 13,000 BCE and
would remain isolated from the rest of the
world for thousands of years
• This isolation & the geographic
characteristics of the Western Hemisphere
resulted in different patterns of development
among it early civilizations compared with
those of the Eastern Hemisphere
• The political & social structures of the Olmec
& Chavin societies, however were similar to
their counterparts in early Mesopotamia,
Egypt, China and the Indus Valley
• These early American civilizations established
a foundation for the classical age of the
Maya, Aztecs and the Inca
Domestication
• By 3,000 BCE people in Mesoamerica (Mexico
and northern Central America) had developed an
agricultural system based on maize, tomatoes,
peppers, squash, and potatoes
• Similarly, by 1500 BCE people of South America
relied on manioc as the base of their agriculture
• While settling of farming societies may have
begun later in the Americas, the domestication of
dogs, which helped hunters find prey, likely
began prior to the Neolithic age.
• Beyond dogs, people of the Americas
domesticated:
– Llamas
– Guinea pigs
– Turkeys
Nomadic Practices
• Because there was a smaller number of species
available for domestication & the absence of a
true beast of burden (except the llama) may
explain some of the developmental differences in
the Americas
• Hunter-gatherer lifestyle suited much of the
territory such as the Native Peoples of the Great
Plains which hunted Bison, or the people of the
Pacific Northwest that relied upon fishing for
sustenance
Olmec
http://www.youtube.com/user/historyteac
hers#p/search/0/lDNyVmh3qwc - Watch
with Olmecs video sheet
• Flourished in Mesoamerica between 1200 and 400 BCE
– influencing much of modern-day Mexico
• Mesoamerica was never unified politically, but the
civilizations did have similar political and social
characteristics
– This is likely due to trade and cultural exchanges
• As agricultural production & efficiency increased,
specialization allowed for the rise of religious and
political figures
• They gained status from their role in religious and
political rituals & this status was used to organize the
labor of the people
Social Structure
• Olmec urban centers included largescale religious & civic buildings
• Irrigation and canal projects were
also prominent features
• Historians speculate that the Olmec
were led by a king who had
religious and secular duties
• The large stone heads that have
been excavated could be these
kings, athletes or warriors (we are
not sure)
• The Olmec had elaborate religious
rituals dedicated to their many
deities most of whom had a male
and female nature
Contributions
• Olmec developed a writing system that
influenced the Maya and a calendar based on
astronomical observations
• They were probably the originators of a ritual ball
game that became a fixture in Mesoamerican
societies
• Although the Olmec never physically dominated
their neighbors, their cultural influence can be
seen in a wide area and in succeeding civilizations
– this is known as being a Mother Culture
Chavin
• In South America, the Chavin
prospered between 900 and 250 BCE
• The society was built on the foundation
of coastal societies, which relied on
seafood to sustain their early cities,
while the people of the foothills relied
upon corn and other foods
• Chavin emerged in part because of
their strategic location between the
coast and the Andes Mountains
• They also preserved many of the
cultural and economic characteristics
of their predecessors, including
irrigation networks, ceremonial plazas,
and pyramids
Food & Labor
• Chavin growth was enabled by their location
along trade routes and the increase in food
production which came with the introduction of
maize from Mesoamerica
• As the society grew, the Chavin developed a
reciprocal labor system that constructed the
irrigation networks, roads and bridges
• The details of the system are not known but the
example would be adopted by later civilizations
including the Inca
Chavin success & collapse
• Crucial to Chavin success & development was the
domestication of the llama
– Provided meat
– Provided wool
– Means of transportation that increased the efficiency and
effectiveness of trade
• Chavin artifacts, like those of the Olmecs, were dispersed
over a wide area and suggest cultural and economic
influence rather than political control of neighbors
• It is thought that regional wars disrupted this economic
and cultural exchange, weakened the ruling class, and
led to the collapse of the Chavin society
• Despite the collapse, Chavin architecture, urban planning
& culture would influence people of the Andes for
centuries