Ancient Civilizations MesoAmerica Olmecs: MesoAmerica’s Mother Culture Chavin: along the South American coast

Olmecs Civilization: 1200 B.C. – 400 B.C. Olmec head or colossal head (the king) Central American Location

Olmecs Specialized Workers Priests fishers farmers traders artisans

Olmecs Complex Institutions Ruling Priest Religious centers (Great Pyramid) ritual ball game trade network from Mexico City to Honduras rivers provide for transportation

Olmecs Advanced Cities San Lorenzo – 1150 B.C La Venta – 800 B.C Bay of Campache up too 100 inches of rain; hills to the north present states of Veracruz and Tabasco

Olmecs Advanced Technology Chinampas: irrigation system Used stone for tools monuments iron ore reached Olmecs through trade

Olmecs Record Keeping No written records kept!! Only sculptures of leaders or religious figures

Chavin 900 BC to 200 BC South American Location Carved head of a half human,  half feline deity

Chavin Specialized Workers Priest artisans masons

Chavin Complex Institutions Very religious: featuring ziggurats and earthen mounds No political institutions Religious centers not outposts for great empires columns is characterized by an essentially zoomorphic repertory (jaguars, snakes, condors, caimans) to which human faces are added here and there

Chavin Advanced Cities Chavín de Huántar-one of the oldest known and most admired pre-Hispanic sites. Center of the Chavin Dynasty.

Chavin Advanced Technology people created a successful drainage system. Several canals built under the temple acted as drainage used early techniques to develop refined early gold work

Chavin Record Keeping What was found aided in influencing future civilizations.