Northern highlands, Peru. Chavín.900-200 B.C.E. Stone (architectural complex); granite (Lanzón and sculpture); hammered gold alloy (jewelry)
Over the course of 700 years, the site drew many worshipers to its temple who helped in spreading the artistic style of Chavín throughout highland and coastal Peru by transporting ceramics, textiles, and other portable objects back to their homes.
- The culture that built it was known as the Chavín Cult
- Was the capital and religious center of the Chavín Cult's members and the pre-Incan civilization.
-Was constructed over many stages and years, but primary construction took place in 900 BC
- Had been continually occupied by various Incan groups and descendants up until 1940.
- Geographic location very important and purposeful, known as the Ancash region
- Allowed for lots of migration and pilgrimage, especially from the Southern Highlands
and Coast
- Set at the connection of two of Peru’s largest rivers, allows for easy access
- The site is in a valley of an otherwise very mountainous Andes region
- Allows for agricultural production of potatoes and maize
- Includes artifacts and stylistic elements from all over
Additional questions:
* What is the geography of the area, and how does it shape its art?
The Chavín de Huántar is situated in the Andes mountains of Peru. It is in the Ancash region and while centrally located, it is especially close to the coastal areas as well as the south. This allowed for many people to access it and participate in a pilgrimage to pay respects to their spirituality, ancestors, and the supernatural being. It was very easy to reach for these people, as it lies on the convergence of two large rivers. The Chavín de Huántar is also in its specific location because it itself is a lowland valley in what is otherwise a very mountainous region. This allowed the people to cultivate potatoes and maize. We know that people from all over the Andes region visited the Chavín de Huántar because of archeological findings as well as sculpture from these different areas.
* What are the social roles, including gender roles?
Not much is known about the gender roles in this society, however, the societal roles were very much based off of religion. The high members of society were very religious and had much art related to felines or gods made in their homes to be closer spiritually. Also, Priests were very highly valued in their society with the Chavin religion, history, and culture lying within temples like the Chavín de Huántar, where only priests could enter. The lower societal members were mostly farmers and workers who worked on the land and buildings while the elites focused more on art and nonfarming activities, such as collecting sea shells and trading between one another. The elite and priests were thought to be directly connected to the Gods and therefore treated better. Finally, the elite were buried in very decorated tombs and valued highly in society.
* What ceremonies help define the culture?
The culture defined in the pre-Inca was based off of the iconography and art made from the temple. A lot of the Gods in the Chavín were carved out of stone and depicted as a mix between animals and humans to give the impression that this culture used what they could with stone to depict what was important to them like all people in the tribe and the animals they used for food and clothing. Another way the culture was defined through the Chavín was through the way people made hikes up the mountain to this spot for religious guidance showing the dedication of this society to their many Gods. Lastly the Chavín had people share their pottery and other art forms their which lead to a central hub where people could bring back art influences to their smaller communities within the larger tribe showing that the culture had a deep appreciation for one another.
* What is the leadership structure?
The leadership structure is far less stringent and one-sided than many other early cultures and architectures we have studied thus far. Examples are the Saudeleur dynasty that created the Nan Madol, the Shona people of the conical tower and circular wall of Great Zimbabwe, and the Ming Chinese with the Forbidden City. This is likely due to the fact that the Chavín de Huántar was meant to be a place where people could unite from far and wide to worship. Therefore, because it was a ceremonial and gathering site used to pray for their supernatural being, people were treated fairly equally with no clear leadership or dominance. If anything, it was this god that served as the people's true leader.
* What are the religious/spiritual beliefs?
In this pre-Inca culture in Peru, the people wanted a center for religion and a cultural hub. The Chavín de Huántar was the place where people went on spiritual pilgrimages to find answers to their questions, heal themselves, or pray for a great harvest. In the Chavín there was a temple where people went to pray to Gods of agriculture and health. Throughout the use of Chavín, there were priests who always maintained the temple and they could only access the tunnels that depicted man and animal-like (anthropomorphic) gods carved from stone.
Sources:
- Khan Academy Essay and Video
- https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/330
- http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Chav%C3%ADn_de_Huantar
- https://www.go2peru.com/peru_guide/huaraz/chavin_huantar.htm
- https://www.ancient.eu/Chavin_Civilization/
-http://olmecsandchavin101.weebly.com/social-classes.html
