Introduction

Some of the first humans came to the Americas about 15,000 years ago. These early humans created foraging communities throughout North, Central and South America. Like other communities around the world, these foragers eventually began to farm crops. Usually, they settled around rivers. However, the Olmec were the first community to practice a mixture of farming and foraging methods like hunting and fishing. The Olmec lived in modern-day Mexico. One of the earliest settlements in South America was the community at Chavín de Huántar in modern-day Peru. These cultures had a lot in common with other Mesoamerican and Andean peoples who lived in these regions from the time the first humans arrived until the Spanish arrived in the fifteenth century. 

The Olmec (c. 1600-350 BCE)

Foraging communities lived in what is now south-central Mexico beginning around 2500 BCE. Around 1600 BCE, the Olmec people founded settlements along rivers near the Gulf of Mexico. Today, those areas are part of Tabasco and Veracruz, Mexico. These settlements included structures for religious ceremonies and more permanent living sites. The largest Olmec city was San Lorenzo. At first, it was just elite rulers and religious leaders of Olmec society that lived in San Lorenzo. 

Archaeologists believe that kings or chiefs governed San Lorenzo and the other Olmec cities. These rulers probably had control over government, religion and business activity in Olmec society. This control allowed them to rule over the cities.

The Olmec did not leave any written records. However, archaeological evidence provides a large amount of information about them. The most recognizable artifacts of the Olmec are the giant head sculptures. Each head weighed around 20 tons, about as heavy as three elephants. The statues were carved out of volcanic rock and then transported about 60-70 kilometers (37-43 miles) to various sites.

The Olmecs often obtained materials from outside the Olmec settlements to make art. This suggests that the Olmec had large trade networks with other cultures. The Olmec likely influenced later societies like the Maya and Aztecs, who have similarities with Olmec art and culture.

The main Olmec cities were reserved for the kings and upper-class members of Olmec society. They were also used for religious ceremonies. Most Olmec people lived in rural areas, where they worked as farmers and craftspeople. The Olmec farmed a variety of crops including maize, cotton, squash and beans. The Olmec society was one of the first to discover how to make rubber from the rubber tree.

Archaeologists also found the ruins of a ball court. The Olmec used the courts to play an ancient Mesoamerican game using a rubber ball. The Olmec ballgame may have been played for sport. It also may have been part of a religious ritual where the losing team was killed in a sacrifice. The sacrifices may have been used to control the people through religion and fear.

At its largest, Olmec society may have had as many as 20,000 people. However, there are no written documents to confirm these numbers. Instead, archaeologists have to estimate based on the size of Olmec land, as well as artifacts.

By 350 BCE, Olmec society had ended. Historians have two ideas about what happened to the Olmecs. It’s possible the centers for religious life had to be moved, causing the cities to decline. Scientists have also suggested that climate change and volcanic eruptions could have ruined parts of Olmec farmland.

Chavín (c. 900-250 BCE) 

About 5,500 km (3,500 miles) South of the Olmecs, a society known as the Chavín developed. The Chavín lived near two rivers on the coast of Peru, as well as in the Andes Mountains region. Like the Olmec up north, Chavín culture did not leave any written records. We don’t even know what they were really called. Chavín comes from the Spanish name for the temple ruins at Chavín de Huántar.

Archaeologists have determined that the temple was used for religious ceremonies. It may have been shared by different settlements in the region. However, archaeologists haven’t found any evidence that people lived inside the temple. The temple was renovated after 500 BCE, possibly to make more space for the growing number of people taking part in religious ceremonies.

The dwellings and agricultural sites they did find at Chavín were located outside of the temple complex. The Chavín produced more pottery after 500 BCE. This suggests that the Chavín were producing more food and needed more jars to store the extra food. There is also evidence that the Chavín society raised llamas to
transport goods. Chavín goods have been found hundreds of miles away from Chavín land. Other communities used Chavín artistic style in their own art. Scientists believe this is because the Chavín were part of a large trade network and communicated with other communities.

Chavín society was organized in a hierarchy, meaning members of society were ranked by social status. At the top of the hierarchy were shaman-priests, who had the most authority. Like the Olmecs, the residents of Chavín may have been controlled by religion and fear. This suggests that Chavín society may have had a central political ruler, such as a religious leader. However, we don’t really know how their government was organized.

At its largest, the center of Chavín society was large enough to support a population of about 2,000-3,000 people. Scientists are not sure what happened to the Chavín. It’s possible that their land was overused, resulting in environmental changes. Another possibility is that the Chavín’s religious site became less important for some reason, and the Chavín people moved away.