The Chavín culture is the name of a cultural group in Peru, now thought to have been primarily a religious cult, dated from about 400-200 BC. The culture apparently began in the Andes highlands and then spread outward throughout the country. Chavín culture has very distinctive art styles, particularly in effigy pots, many of which were in feline shapes. -K. Kris Hirst,

The earliest urban culture on the South American continent was the Chavín culture, so-called because its major site was found in the area of Chavín de Huantar. The Chavín culture arose in the highlands of northern Peru around 1000 BC—about the same time as the Olmecs in Central America; and thrived until 500 BC. We know almost nothing about the Chavín; like the Olmecs, they worshipped a jaguar-man god which suggests there might have been some kind of cultural contact between the two. For five hundred years, the Chavín culture dominated Peruvian culture during a period we call Early Horizon (1000-200 BC).

The people of Chavin believed in religion. Their religious belief was supported by quite a few religious artifacts that have been found. Tubes made out of bone and spoons decorated with wild animals which we associate with shamanistic transformations, are among the many artifacts that have been found. The people of Chavin promoted fertility and abundant harvests. Their gods were represented in stone carvings of humans and wild animals; such as jaguars, hawks, eagles, and snakes. Their role in politics was extremely significant. These economic advancements led to the building of ceremonial centers and large settlements. Priests were most likely a part of the Chavin civilization. However, priestly classes probably also were not present, since complex societies and cities began to arrive only after the disappearance of the Chavin. There is a possibility that the Chavin civilization sacrificed animals to please the gods for abundance in their harvest. - From Wikipedia It is evident that the people of Chavin held religious beliefs due to many artifacts relating to religious ceremonies that have been excavated. Large shells have been transformed into musical instruments by drilling holes in them so they could be played as horns. Several objects are believed to have been used in the ceremonial ingestion of hallucinogens such as small mortars that were used to grind vilca, a sort of hallucinogenic snuff. Other objects used for these purposes are bone tubes and spoons. Those items were decorated with impressions of wild animals that are associated with shamanistic transformation. -mnsu.edu
Chavin had proven links with a religious grouping located on the north coast and in the sierra of Peru. Recent excavations have clearly proved these links by unearthing Chavin ceramics in the surroundings of Puemape, in Cajamarca, together with ceramics of the Cupisnique culture. On the plaza platform there were two galleries, one containing a large number of seashells used in religious ritual, and the other, called "The Offering Gallery", contained hundreds of jars, stone objects and the remains of human and animal sacrifices (burnt offerings). Chavin de Huantar was never cut off from the other cultures around it, some of them quite far away. This led Julio C. Tello to state that Chavin was the seat of Peruvian civilization and the blueprint for future cultures in our country. However, later research determined that although Chavin was not the cradle of Peruvian culture, it was, however, one of the most important manifestations of our civilization, since it heavily influenced all future cultures. The second, the Templo Nuevo (New Temple), is an extension on the right wing of the ancient temple, called "the castle". It is much larger than the ancient one, since it continues along platforms and culminates in a large, sunken square plaza. All the platforms had stone stairways. Unfortunately, little is known about the function of this complex, since we ignore the nature of the main divinity and the ritual procedures involved. -From Enjoy Peru webpage




Food consumed at Chavin are thought to be Coca, chili peppers, salt, dried fish, due to remains found at the site. However these foods are not native to the area, suggesting trade and cooperation between Chavin and other cultures. (Burger, 1992: 129) There was also a heavy importance on hallucinogens and beverages during sacred ceremonies and other religious activities.
from: studentwebs.coloradocollege.edu







--Other [random] Notes--

Early societies of South America

• Early Andean society and the Chavín cult
• Early migration to Peru and Bolivia region
  • By 12,000 B.C.E. hunting and gathering peoples reached South America
  • By 8000 B.C.E. they began to experiment with agriculture
  • Complex societies appeared in central Andean region after 1000 B.C.E.
  • Andean societies were located in modern-day Peru and Bolivia
• Early agriculture in South America
  • Main crops: beans, peanuts, sweet potatoes, cotton
  • Fishing supplemented agricultural harvests
  • By 1800 B.C.E. the people produced pottery, built temples and pyramids
    
• The Chavín Cult, from about 900 to 300 B.C.E.
  • Complexity of Andean society increases during Chavín
  • Devised techniques of producing cotton textiles and fishing nets
  • Discovered gold, silver, and copper metallurgy
  • Cities began to appear shortly after Chavín cult
  • Early Andeans did not make use of writing
    
• Early Andean states: Mochica (300-700 C.E.) in northern Peru
• Irrigation, trade, military, no writing
• Artistic legacy: painting on pottery, ceramics

--Links--





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav%C3%ADn_culture