Learn about the chavin - a pre-Inca Civilisation

The first Peruvian culture to leave us with massive monuments and intricate and artistic ceramics, ornaments and textiles was the Chavin, which was extant from circa 1,000 to 300 B.C.

It takes its name from the Andean site of Chavín de Huántar, a fabulous temple with complex underground passages, a couple of hours’ drive from Huaraz.

Originally thought of as the first example of Chavin design, it was later discovered that Sechin on the coast has the same motifs … but was built at least 500 years earlier.

Chavin-style motifs on the walls of Sechin Archaeological Complex.

Unlike later cultures, the Chavin expanded through artistic and religious influence, not military conquest, which is why it is thought of as a ‘cult’, rather than an ‘empire’.

It is also termed a ‘horizon society’ on account of the widespread influence over the civilisations that would follow: its trademark feline carvings have been found on temples along much of the Peruvian coast.

Deities combining human and animal features also appear on Chavin temples, pots, and ornaments. Some of these creatures dwell only in the Amazonian lowlands, leading to speculation that at least some of the Chavin people may have migrated from the rainforest.

Golden earrings, with a jaguar motif, found at Kuntur Wasi.

Metalworking (especially with gold, silver and copper) and increasingly fine ceramic and textile production gave rise to commerce, as people began trading items between the coast and the Andes, and even into the Amazon. This trade helped fuel the spread of the Chavin cult, unifying disparate geographical zones for the first time.

For reasons that are not well-understood, the Chavin cult began to wane from around 200 BC, as other cultures emerged, such as the Paracas and Nazca in the southern coastal desert, and the Moche along the north coast.

How to visit the vestiges of Chavin Culture with PeruNorth:

Chavin de Huantar: 

Cajamarca: