Early Andean Civilizations
Origins and Foundations
Environmental Context• Basic divisions:
east/west, north/south• Mountains, deserts, and
rivers• “Vertical archipelago”:
adapting to climate diversity based on altitude
• Off-shore upwelling currents: extremely rich marine ecosystems of Pacific coast
• El Niño destabilization of climate patterns
Textbook map of Andeanregion
Timeline
• “Periods” vs. “Horizons”: episodes with higher regional diversity, less integration, vs. episodes dominated by expanding cultural or political group, with less diversity, more integration
• Varies somewhat between coastal and highland zones
Textbook timeline for region
Preceramic Period (5000-3800BP)Coast
• Foragers in this area since at least 10,000BP
• Preceramic period begins when these foragers move into sedentism, begin to establish large settlements supported by fishing, low-level horticulture
• Maize arrives ca. 2800BP, with simultaneous expansion in populations
Highlands• Preceramic begins a little later
here, ca. 4500 BP• Associated with the
development of ceremonial centers like Kotosh, La Galgada
• Camelid (alpaca and llama) domestication occurs during this period
• Domestication of a range of indigenous tubers, esp. potato, and indigenous grain, quinoa, occurs during this period
• Maize arrives ca. 3250 BP
Key Elements of Early Andean States
• Full agricultural production, initial diversification of crop species by altitude zones
• Domestication of cotton, use of camelid fiber, elaboration of textile technology
• Rich ceremonial complex development, complete with monumental architecture
• Complex trade and interaction between highland and coastal zones
The “Maritime Foundations” Hypothesis
• Critical question: “how did coastal states develop, and from what economic and social base?”
• Moseley argued that the maritime resources would have been sufficient to sustain large populations
• The Bigger Picture: comparative data available for maritime-specialized “complex foragers” like Pacific Northwest, European Mesolithic, and possibly early Oceanian settlers, the Lapita
The Initial Period (3800-2800BP)
• Period of transition from forager-focused to intensive agriculture, development of extensive irrigation systems
• Marked increase in population, and in population densities, emergence of larger centers as series of small, independent kingdoms (valley to valley)
• Development of ceramic technology, early metallurgy• Clear signs of inter-settlement coordination of ritual
activity, but no parallel signs of social ranking, differentiation in burials
• All these processes most marked, most accelerated on the coast
Early Horizon in the Highlands (2900-2200 BP)
• Rise of Chavin de Huantar (2800-2200BP)
• Cultural influence expands out of the highlands, to coast, and to some extent north and south of Chavin itself
• Originally thought to be “mother culture” of Andean civilization, now understood to have coexisted with other early emerging states to north and south
• Shifted to urban status based on position along a coast/highland trade route, reinforced by development of ritual significance as a pilgrimage site
• Iconography (images and ideas) of Chavindoes seem to persist, get borrowed by a number of later states
Early Horizon at Lake Titicaca (southern highlands)
• Chiripa and Pukara were the key centers, (3400-2100 BP)
• Both rose to early urban size and status, and remained relatively autonomous from both Chavin and from each other
• Motifs developed at Chiripa in particular seemed to have carried on into later ritual and ideological use in the area
Early Horizon on the Coast• Rise of the Paracas culture on
the southern Andean coast, ca. 2500 BP
• Influenced technologically from the Lake Titicaca basin: ceramics, textiles, and irrigation agriculture
• However maintained cultural autonomy: different and distinctive art and architectural styles
• Smaller populations over all in this more marginal ecosystem
• Unclear evidence on amount, degree of social hierarchy, central authority
Existing environmental factors
• El Niño/La Niña events• Tectonic plate uplift• Flooding• Drought• Cold fluctuations (highlands)• Warm fluctuations (highlands)
Human/Environmental interactions
• Irrigation• Terracing• Canalization (river to river)• Population
density increases
• Soil degradation/erosion