Olmec and Chavin

Olmec

• Meso-America• Geographic and

climatic diversity• Economy:early

advances in agriculture; corn, beans, squash

• Urban civilization

• Religious and political elites organized labor for irrigation systems and drainage canals

• Artificial platforms for religious purposes and elite residences

• Little info about political systems

Olmec

• Polytheistic religion• Deities blended

male/female, animal/human characteristics

• Shamans organized religious life, developed writing system and produced a calendar

Chavin

• Andean region; mountainous core area, dry costal plain, interior jungles

• Geography contributed to specialized regional production and interregional trade

• Chavin at de Huantar located at the intersection of trade routes

• Dominated thru military force or cultural influence

Chavin

• Fish and mollusks supported the emergence of costal cities

• Maize enabled agricultural surplus

• Reciprocal labor obligations of a clan based society

• Llamas facilitated trade

• Multilevel packed earth platforms topped by small buildings

• Gold and alloy metallurgy, textiles, pottery

• Decline caused by increased regional warfare and disruption of trade