Chavin: A Historical Background and Introduction
One of the main peculiarities of the Chavin civilization and perhaps one of its strongest features is that the spread of the Chavin religion occurred peacefully in the Andean Region. Without application of military force, the religion grew.
The Chavin people originally traveled to South America by 12,000 B.C.E as hunter-gatherers. A little later than the Olmecs, the Chavins began to develop agriculture around 8,000 B.C.E. The civilization eventually learned to produce cotton textiles and fishing nets. The Chavin civilization may have descended from small farming communities that may have been around since 3,500 B.C.E. The Chavin people, located near the Andes mountains began to build their capital center at Chavin de Huantar. Slowly the civilization attracted farmer, hunter-gathers, and other people to their center to worship in the temples that were built. As the so-called religious cult (900 B.C.E. - 300 B.C.E) continued, the Chavin religion spread. People began making trips through the mountainous terrain to see the temples and pay tribute to the gods, allowing economic growth. Eventually this led to the rise of priests, who ultimately ruled the Chavin Civilization.
The Chavin people originally traveled to South America by 12,000 B.C.E as hunter-gatherers. A little later than the Olmecs, the Chavins began to develop agriculture around 8,000 B.C.E. The civilization eventually learned to produce cotton textiles and fishing nets. The Chavin civilization may have descended from small farming communities that may have been around since 3,500 B.C.E. The Chavin people, located near the Andes mountains began to build their capital center at Chavin de Huantar. Slowly the civilization attracted farmer, hunter-gathers, and other people to their center to worship in the temples that were built. As the so-called religious cult (900 B.C.E. - 300 B.C.E) continued, the Chavin religion spread. People began making trips through the mountainous terrain to see the temples and pay tribute to the gods, allowing economic growth. Eventually this led to the rise of priests, who ultimately ruled the Chavin Civilization.