AP World HistoryPOD #5 – People of the Western HemisphereOlmec & 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 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

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”

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)

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

Olmec Society

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

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

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

Pre-Chavin

“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)

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

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

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

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

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