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Ancient Civilizations <strong>of</strong> Latin America<br />
The Olmecs<br />
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The <strong>ancient</strong> Olmec civilization is believed to have been centered around the southern Gulf Coast<br />
<strong>of</strong> Mexico area (today the states <strong>of</strong> Veracruz and Tabasco).<br />
The Olmec culture developed in the centuries before 1200BC, and declined around 400BC.<br />
We know far less about the Olmecs than we do about, for example, the Aztecs and Mayans.<br />
There are very few written records to tell us about the culture. In fact, at first Olmec artifacts<br />
were thought to be Mayan, and the Mayans were thought to be the first great culture in the<br />
area. The generally accepted belief is that the culture arose from people in the area, although<br />
some have suggested that the Olmecs may have originally come from Africa.<br />
The major Olmec urban area in early times was San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan, at the time the<br />
largest city in Meso<strong>america</strong>. This was probably a ritual and political place, housing thousands<br />
and using an elaborate water and drainage system. The city and in fact the <strong>ancient</strong> Olmec<br />
civilization is <strong>of</strong>ten remembered because <strong>of</strong> the gigantic stone heads that have been found here:<br />
There are a couple <strong>of</strong> reasons why the Olmecs are so important. First, they used and perhaps<br />
developed many things culturally and religiously that were later used by the Mayans and Aztecs<br />
and many other cultures. Second, they had a wide influence in their day, which gives us reason<br />
to believe that they may be responsible for spreading some <strong>of</strong> these ideas.<br />
The Olmecs carved stone, jade, and the volcanic rock basalt (used for the great stone heads).<br />
The stone was quarried and imported.<br />
The Olmecs had a rich society, traded with far away peoples and ate a wide variety <strong>of</strong> foods .
The Chavin<br />
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The Chavin culture existed in what is known today as the modern state <strong>of</strong> Peru.<br />
Early Peruvian civilization can be traced back to the peopling <strong>of</strong> the New World, dating back to<br />
the crossing <strong>of</strong> the Bering Land Bridge by Asiatic hunters long before 15,000 years ago. It is<br />
believed that between 10,000 and 14,000 years ago some <strong>of</strong> these people began peopling the<br />
Peruvian Andes. About 10,000 years <strong>of</strong> development took place before any civilization was<br />
organized.<br />
The best known civilization <strong>of</strong> early Peruvian prehistory is Chavin. Chavin is one <strong>of</strong> Peru's oldest<br />
<strong>civilizations</strong> and laid the cultural foundations <strong>of</strong> all later Peruvian <strong>civilizations</strong>. The Chavin culture<br />
flourished from 900 BCE to 200 BCE.<br />
It is evident that the people <strong>of</strong> Chavin held religious beliefs due to many artifacts re<strong>latin</strong>g to<br />
religious ceremonies that have been excavated.<br />
Large shells were transformed into musical instruments by drilling holes in them so they could<br />
be played as horns.<br />
Several objects are believed to have been used in the ceremonial ingestion <strong>of</strong> hallucinogens<br />
such as small mortars that were used to grind vilca, a sort <strong>of</strong> hallucinogenic snuff. Other objects<br />
used for these purposes are bone tubes and spoons. Those items were decorated with<br />
impressions <strong>of</strong> wild animals that are associated with shamanistic transformation.<br />
The Chavin culture is known for its beautiful art and design but Chavin was also innovative with<br />
metallurgy and textile production. Cloth production was revolutionized during the time <strong>of</strong><br />
Chavin. New techniques and materials included the use <strong>of</strong> camel<br />
hair, textile painting, the dying <strong>of</strong> camel hair and the "resist"<br />
painting style similar to modern day tie-dye.<br />
Advances in metallurgy also occurred during the Chavin's reign in<br />
Peru such as joining pieces <strong>of</strong> preshaped metal sheets to form<br />
both objects <strong>of</strong> art and objects for practical use. Soldering and<br />
temperature control were also advanced during this time.<br />
An important factor <strong>of</strong> the Chavin culture is its art, which can<br />
seem very puzzling to the untrained eye. Chavin designs can be<br />
appreciated only as abstract patterns, but there is almost always<br />
representational meaning behind them. Chavin art bears some<br />
resemblance to Olmec art suggesting that there may have been<br />
some degree <strong>of</strong> influence between the two cultures.