Chavin was an ancient South American civilization that thrived in the area that is modern day Peru. The civilization had a unique culture that flourished around the time of 900 BCE to 200 BCE and is one of the earliest known South American cultures.
Religion was a big influencer in Chavin culture and helped to establish a universal Andean belief system. Art also played a large role in Chavin culture and was an influencer in later South American cultures like the Inca. Chavin culture was one of the earliest and most influential South American cultures.
There were many advancements and accomplishments of the Chavin culture as they pioneered many things. Chavín de Huántar temple is the largest example of Chavin advancement in terms of architecture. The builders designed the temple with an effective drainage system using canals underneath the structure in order to avoid flooding and ultimate destruction of the sacred place.
The domestication of llamas was another advancement of Chavin culture.
They used the llamas for transporting goods as well as for food. They used llama meat to make “ch’arki,” which is just llama jerky and was often traded by herders.
Another advancement of the Chavin culture was the successful cultivation of crops, such as potatoes, quinoa, and maize. They also created a method for irrigating the crops in order to help them with growth.
The Chavin culture had a unique artistic style. Animals and animalistic characteristics are a big theme in Chavin art. Jaguars, raptors, snakes, and supernatural beings often part of artistic works and are commonly portrayed with ferocious fangs.
Many of the animals portrayed in Chavin art are from distant jungles, thus showing just how far reaching the influence of Chavin culture is. The Staff Deity was also very commonly portrayed in Chavin sculpture, ceramics, and textiles. The Chavin culture’s painted cotton textiles are in fact the earliest known examples of art from any of the Andean cultures and they took the form of clothes, belts, and hangings.
Another form of art that the Chavin culture invested in was pottery. Chavin pottery is known for being high quality as well as commonly painted in colors such as brown, black, or red. The most frequently found shape of Chavin pottery is the stirrup-spouted bulbous vessel, which often has raised designs that depict imagery from Chavin religion. Some vessels depict other things such as jaguars, seated humans, or fruits and plants.
Shells were another commonly used item in Chavin art. Among the Chavin elite shells were used to make jewellery. They were also carved into trumpets and used during Chavin religious ceremonies.
The Chavin also happened to skilled metal workers. They made cylinder crowns, mask, jewelry, and pectorals out of metal, commonly gold.
The Chavin culture is named for the temple they built at Chavin de Huantar, which is the most prominent thing link with the culture overall. The culture is thought to have flourished between around 900 BCE and 200 BCE. Between 900 BCE and 500 BCE only a few hundred people lived around the temple site. Around 500 BCE, the number began to increase, though the reason is unknown. In order to accommodate for the new rise in population, renovations and remodeling were completed. The domestication of the llama appeared around this time also. Chavin population continued growing substantially from around 400 BCE to 200 BCE and as a result more urban settlements began to appear. Evidence of specialized pottery during this time potentially indicates an increase in local production and agricultural surplus, as pottery was often used to store any surplus food. The unusual location of the Chavin, being near two rivers and mountain valleys, allowed for the people to grow a variety of crops. They grew maize, which grew best in the river valley, and potatoes, which grew better in the higher altitudes of the valleys of the Andes Mountains.
The Chavin also grew quinoa, a type of grain, in addition to maize and potatoes and even came up with an irrigation system in order to help the crop grow. They used domesticated llamas for food and for the transportation of goods. In order to preserve the llama meat the Chavin people would dry it, the final product went on to be called ch’arki, which eventually lead to what people know today as jerky. The engineering of Chavin de Huantar temple shows advanced building techniques for the time that were adapted in order to build in the highland environment of Peru. Chavin builders built in canals under the temple in order to prevent flooding and the overall destruction of the sacred place during the rainy season. The Chavin artistic style was the first widespread and recognizable style in the Andes region and there were no bigger nor more dramatic expression of this style than the Chavin de Huantar temple itself. There is little to no evidence of warfare throughout Chavin history, as there is no evidence of defensive structures. People were likely controlled religious pressure and environmental conditions alike. The political structure of the Chavin culture is unclear, but based on the evidence of the importance of religion it is likely that it was based on a religious hierarchy.
Religion was a critical aspect of the Chavin culture. The Staff Deity was one of the most important gods of the Chavin religion. The Staff Deity was associated with agriculture and held a staff in each hand. Religious ceremony involved blood-letting and sacrificial rituals. The shamans or religious leaders of the Chavin religion would put themselves in trances through the use of hallucinatory plants and mushrooms. Chavin de Huantar was the most important religious site of the Chavin people. They believed in sacred shrines and transformation into animal spirits.
Sometime around 200 BCE the Chavin civilization disappeared for reasons that are unclear. The Chavin had made many advancements in agriculture, religion, and art. All of these advancements came together to make a unique and beautiful Chavin culture. Although the Chavin civilization vanished from the earth, aspect of their culture went on to influence later Andes cultures.
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