Test 1
Ancient Civilizations of South America
Introduction: History of Research, Geographical Setting, and Chronologies
1. Outline:
a. Why study South American archaeology and civilizations?
b. Geographical setting: diversity, complementarity and cultural developments
c. History of research and the development of regional chronologies
2. Why study South American archaeology and civilizations?
a. Most of the models that we have built on social organization did not take south America into account
b. We try to superimpose a generalization that comes from the Inca empire
c. The Inca who developed around the mid 13th cent. Were very different from the north coast people
i. They worshiped more of the sun and the mountains vs the sea
d. European Fascination
i. Paintings with a romanticized view of an Indian and Columbus’ arrival
ii. They were not civilized until they were influenced by the Europeans
iii. El Dorado (“the golden one”)
1. The first story came from Columbia where someone witnessed the rite of passage of a
chief and during the rite of passage the new chief has to cover his body with golden
powder and go on a raft and swim in the lake – this is the origin of El Dorado (person
covered in gold)
iv. El Dorado vs. Semantic drift
1. Most people still think that this El Dorado exists a city of pure gold
2. Semantic drift led to a fascination with material culture of these populations
3. Gold started being dispersed out of the Inca empire
4. Idea that gold is still buried somewhere
v. Pizzaro-Orellana Expedition, 1541-1542
1. Francisco Orellana and Gonzalo Pizarro: set out on a mission to find El Dorado which did
not work
2. Believed that Ed Dorado was located in a lake that did not exist
e. World “Civilizations”
i. Another reason why South America is interesting: their pristine civilizations were first
generation, not influenced by being conquered
ii. One unique trait of the indies is the extreme diversity of geological environments
1. At the same time on the coast there is extremely good conditions for preservation
f. Concept of Civilizations
i. Origins in Roman period, first used in 18th century (Adam Ferguson, 1767):
1. “not only individual advances from infancy to manhood, but the species itself from
rudeness to civilization”
2. Idea that societies develop from simple to complex
3. Very slippery concept when used to describe ancient societies
ii. Western, ethnocentric view: idea of progress or civility
iii. Use in archaeology: urban state-level societies
1. Still limited to popular culture and public outreach of archaeologists when we refer to
civilization we try to only involve urban city development
iv. Characteristics of civilization:
1. Cities: people live in close approximation and cultivated their own goods
