Chavin

Chavin
/cheuh veen"/, adj.
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a Peruvian culture flourishing from the 1st to the 6th century A.D.
[named after Chavin, town in Peru]

* * *

▪ ancient South American culture
      earliest highly developed culture in pre-Columbian Peru, which flourished between about 900 and 200 BC. During this time Chavín artistic influence spread throughout the northern and central parts of what is now Peru. The name given to this early civilization derives from the great ruin of Chavín de Huántar in the northern highlands of the Peruvian Andes, but that site may not have been the actual centre of origin of the culture and artistic style. Important regional manifestations are also found at Kotosh and Kuntur Wasi, in the highlands, and at sites in the Casma, Nepeña, and Chicama valleys of the northern coast. One of the best-known coastal phases is the Cupisnique of the Chicama valley.

      The central building at Chavín de Huántar is a massive temple complex constructed of dressed rectangular stone blocks and containing interior galleries and incorporating bas-relief carvings on pillars and lintels. The principal motifs of the Chavín style are human, avian, feline, and crocodilian or serpentine figures; these are often combined in highly complex and fantastic images. Chavín de Huántar was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985.

      Chavín culture undoubtedly had earlier prototypes in the Initial Period (c. 1800–900 BC). During this period a sedentary agricultural way of life became fully established in Peru, with the development of such crafts as weaving, pottery making, and stone carving. The significance of Chavín is that for the first time many of the local or regional cultures of the area were unified by a common ideology or religion. The extent of political unification remains uncertain.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Chavin — Chavín Pour les articles homonymes, voir Chavin (homonymie). Vue panoramique du site de Chavín de Huántar …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Chavin — may refer to: Chavín culture, an early culture of the Andean region, pre dating the Moche culture in Peru Chavín de Huantar, an archaeological site built by the Chavín culture Chavin, Indre, a commune of the Indre département in France The Chavín …   Wikipedia

  • Chavin — Chavín de Huántar hat einer Kultur den Namen gegeben, die sich zeitlich zwischen 850 v. Chr. bis 200 v. Chr. erstreckte, aber niemals ein geographisches Zentrum bildete. Viel eher ist es wahrscheinlich, dass dieser Ort am Schnittpunkt zwischen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Chavín — de Huántar hat einer Kultur den Namen gegeben, die sich zeitlich zwischen 850 v. Chr. bis 200 v. Chr. erstreckte, aber niemals ein geographisches Zentrum bildete. Viel eher ist es wahrscheinlich, dass dieser Ort am Schnittpunkt zwischen der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Chavín —   [tʃa βin], frühe vorkolumbische Hochkultur im Andenraum, 1000 300 v. Chr. (Blütezeit 700 300 v. Chr.); sie breitete sich von der Küste und dem nördlichen Hochland Perus nach Süden bis zur Halbinsel Paracas aus und hatte weit reichende Einflüsse …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Chavín — Chavin refers to two different things:*Chavín is the name of a pre Moche people in Peru*Chavín is a parish belonging to the municipality of Viveiro, Spain …   Wikipedia

  • Chavín — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Chavin (homonymie). Vue panoramique du site de Chavín de Huántar …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Chavin — No debe confundirse con Cultura Chavín. Chavin …   Wikipedia Español

  • chavin — chəˈvēn adjective Usage: usually capitalized Etymology: from Chavín or Chavín de Huantar, town in central Peru, its type station : of or relating to a Peruvian culture of the 1st to the 6th centuries A.D. characterized by a platform type of stone …   Useful english dictionary

  • Chavín — ► Cultura precolombina, la más antigua conocida de Perú, cuyo nombre deriva del yacimiento de Chavín de Huántar, en el altiplano andino (departamento de Ancash) …   Enciclopedia Universal

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”