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The Sacred Valley of the Incas and Machu Picchu

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The Sacred Valley of the Incas and Machu Picchu

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Transforming hill sides and pendulous slopes, the Incas created a royal retreat covered in terraces, water sanctuaries, and extensive irrigation. This stunning site was frequented by nobility and their retainers.

Cultural Significance:
The architecture and engineering was extremely exceptional. The completion of Machu Picchu took multiple generations and many resources. This displays highly complex planning and cooperation.

Source:
Scarre, Chris. "From Village to Empire in South America". In The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. London: Thames & Hudson, 2013, 641-677.

Image Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Peru_Machu_Picchu_Sunrise.jpg

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Consisting of 80 political provinces, the Inca empire was the largest ancient empire south of the equator. Radiating out of the capital Cuzco, the Incas built all-weather highways to connect the provinces. They were agropastoralists as well as fisherman. All of the general population, including women, were required to work on the government and religious lands. The exquisite metropolis was taken down by a smallpox pandemic which killed the emperor and spurred the civilization into warfare.

Source:
Scarre, Chris. "From Village to Empire in South America". In The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. London: Thames & Hudson, 2013, 641-677.

Image Source:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dRPb_wwfhXw/TgQcKZuksdI/AAAAAAAAAVo/FsN1tiY1bDA/s1600/inca_map.jpg

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The Late Intermediate Period & Chimor (1,000 AD - 1,476 AD)

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The Late Intermediate Period & Chimor (1,000 AD - 1,476 AD)

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The largest empire of this period was Chimor which extended over 1,300 km of Northern Peru. They were known for their impressive agricultural skills and military power. The capital city, Chan Chan, had a vast trading network where 26,000 of the 40,000 inhabitants were craftsmen producing precious materials.

Cultural Significance:
One of the biggest impacts of Chimor was that their culture shaped and influenced the Incas who would come to conquer and assimilate with their way of life.

Source:
Cartwright, Mark. "Chimu Civilization." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last modified April 14, 2015. http://www.ancient.eu/Chimu_Civilization/.

Image Source:
http://www.ancient-origins.net/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Chan-Chan-mud-brick-city.jpg?itok=J7a256xJ

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The Middle Horizon is characterized by political rule of two great empires: Wari, ruling in the North, and Tiwanaku, ruling in the south. From these expanding empires spread new pottery styles, burial customs, and new types of buildings.

Cultural Significance:
New building structures were found in the Cuzco valley that may have been for storage. This indicates a possible military presence.

Source:
Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s. v. "pre-Columbian civilizations", accessed August 23, 2016, https://www.britannica.com/topic/pre-Columbian-civilizations/Andean-civilization.

Image Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Tiwanaku_Bolivia.jpg

Tiwanaku

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The Amazonian Formative Period (1,000 BC - 500 AD)

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The Amazonian Formative Period (1,000 BC - 500 AD)

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Previously ignored by archaeologists, the evidence of cultural complexity of the associated populations are just recently coming to surface. Due to lack of physical evidence, linguistic analysis has been largely helpful in determining the Amazonian people did in fact participate in ceramics, monument building, and agriculture.

Cultural Significance:
From the archaeological and linguistic evidence, we learn that the people of the Amazon were sedentary, relied on agriculture, and were socially complex.

Source:
Scarre, Chris. "From Village to Empire in South America". In The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. London: Thames & Hudson, 2013, 641-677.

Image Source:
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/227093988_fig19_Figure-1219-Barrancoid-ceramics-from-the-lower-Orinoco-Top-a-harpy-eagle-holds-a

Amazonian Barrancoid ceramics

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Early Intermediate Period (200 BC - 650 AD)

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Early Intermediate Period (200 BC - 650 AD)

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During this time, the building of monumental structures began to decrease. Due to increased droughts, resource competition instigated hostility between communities.

However, in the sierra highlands, the elite class also known as the kuraka thrived and produced fine arts.

Cultural Significance:
The Early Intermediate period, also knows as the Master Craftsmen period, gave way to an elaborate fine art period.

Source:
Scarre, Chris. "From Village to Empire in South America". In The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. London: Thames & Hudson, 2013, 641-677.

Image Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Moche_portrait_ceramic_Quai_Branly_71.1930.19.162_n1.jpg

Ceramic Moche portrait head vessel most likely of an elite.

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The Early Horizon and Chavin de Huantar  (400 - 200 BC)

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The Early Horizon and Chavin de Huantar  (400 - 200 BC)

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Located high in the Andes mountains, the archaeological site of Chavin de Huantar consisted of sunken courts, platform mounds, and temples. Stone carvings of birds, canids, felines, raptors, serpents,  and supernatural beings are depicted.

During this time, many great innovations arose such as cloth production and metallurgy resulting in gold and alloy artworks.

Cultural Significance:
This was a time of great drought and environmental stress. The people of Chavin turned to their "Staff God" and supernatural tendencies.

Source:
Scarre, Chris. "From Village to Empire in South America". In The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. London: Thames & Hudson, 2013, 641-677.

Image Source:
https://ccrma.stanford.edu/groups/chavin/images/cabeza3.jpg

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As populations grew, corporate construction of temples, platform mounds, sunken courts, and walled enclosures increased. People also began to use pottery and weave cloth.

The archaeological site of La Galgada gives us evidence of elite burials during this time. The inhabitants of this site were adorned with jewelry, and offerings of bags and baskets.

Cultural Significance:
The elaborate burial sites and communities organized by kinship and decent show us a shift toward socio-political organization.

Source:
Mendoza, Alberto Bueno and Terence Grieder. La Galgada, Peru: A Preceramic Culture in Transition. University of Texas Press, 2013.

Scarre, Chris. "From Village to Empire in South America". In The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. London: Thames & Hudson, 2013, 641-677.

Image Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Galgada_(archaeological_site)#/media/File:La_Galgada,_Peru.jpg
A reconstruction of the site:

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Preceramic Civilization  (3,000 - 1,800 BC)

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Preceramic Civilization  (3,000 - 1,800 BC)

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During this period in the Andes mountains, the ancient civilization relied on domesticated plants and animals. They had temple mounds and elite quarters before the production and use of pottery.

Also, canals in Peru have been found to indicate the use of irrigation for cotton, gourds, beans and avocado trees.

Cultural Significance:
The transition to food production indicates an increased sedentism and community cooperation.

Source:
Scarre, Chris. "From Village to Empire in South America". In The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. London: Thames & Hudson, 2013, 641-677.

Image Source:
http://www.mesoweb.com/reports/caral/peru2_z6.jpg

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Created by the coastal fisherman near the Atacama Desert of northern Chile and southern Peru, these mummies date back as far as 7,000 BC. Unlike other societies that participated in mummification, not only the elite were chosen. Nearly everyone was given the honor; the elderly, children, even fetuses.

Cultural Significance:
The early mummification of the Chinchorro indicate complex human behavior. Although it is not clear if the ritual had religious meaning, it is apparent that these fisherman felt a strong relationship between the living and the deceased self.

Source:
Dillehay, Tom D. “Selective Complexity and Adaptive Mortuary Behavior.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 14722:14723 (August 27, 2012). doi: 10.1073/pnas.1212756109

Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Momia_cultura_chinchorro_a%C3%B1o_3000_AC.jpg