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

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

3. Olmecs Specialized Workers
Priests
fishers
farmers
traders
artisans

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

5. 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

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

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

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

9. Chavin Specialized Workers
Priest
artisans
masons

10. 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

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

12. 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

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