Nubian, Olmec, and Chavin Civilizations

1
Nubian, Olmec, and Chavin Civilizations
2
Nubia, 3100BCE 350CE

• Aswan and Khartoum
• Trade center Sub Saharan Africa and
  Mediterranean
• Resources gold, copper, stones
• Nile, irrigation, trade (boats/caravans to avoid
  cataracts)
• Bantu migrations- farmers in the Sahel migrate
  East and South

3
(No Transcript)
4
Early Cultures and Egyptian Domination, 2300
1100 BCE

• Old Kingdom Egypt sought riches that came through
  Nubia
• Middle Kingdom Egypt more aggressive, wanted
  more control (forts), mostly peaceful
• 1750 BCE Kingdom of Kush huge mud brick
  monuments
• Belief in afterlife (possessions
  sacrificed/buried)
• New Kingdom Egypt destroyed Kush, ruled over
  Nubia, exploited for gold
• Egypt imposed culture (elites, military,
  manufactured goods, towns, gods)

5
QUESTIONS

• Review core/periphery terms. Was Nubia ever a
  core civilization?
• How did the technological and cultural influences
  of Egypt affect the formation of Nubia?

6
(No Transcript)
7
Kingdom of Meroe, 800 BCE 350 CE

• 1200 BCE - Egypt loses control over Nubia (Napata
  and Meroe)
• Brief control over Egypt, lost when they
  challenged the Assyrians, Egyptian cultural
  influence continued
• 4th c. BCE Meroe (trade, agriculture), sub
  Saharan culture, new language, new deities
• Matrilineal system (queens involved in warfare,
  diplomacy, monumental buildings)
• City of Meroe huge, reservoirs, iron smelting
• Collapsed 4th c. BCE (nomads on camels, loss of
  trade)

8
(No Transcript)
9
QUESTIONS

• Compare/contrast what we know about the role of
  women in Egyptian and Nubian society.
• What was the importance of trade to the native
  civilizations that emerged along the Nile south
  of Egypt?

10
Early American Civilizations

• Arrival of humans to Americas contested (35,000
  to 13,000 BCE) isolated
• Environment (Guns, Germs, and Steel thesis see
  page 9 in textbook)
• Elites organized population to change environment
  for their needs
• 1000 BCE Olmec (Mesoamerica) and Chavin (Andes)

11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
Olmecs 1200BCE 400BCE

• Located in Mexico (near Veracruz)
• Grew corn beans and squash primarily
• Vast trade networks, encompassing very diverse
  areas, but small territory relative to land
  available- no empire/political unification
• Each center seems to have fallen due to a violent
  rebellion (defaced monuments)
• Colossal mounds used in religious ceremonies,
  importance of animal motifs, calendar/writing
• Clear social structure, elites controlled labor
  pool (increased food production), merchants

14
OLMEC ART
15
Question

• Compare the Olmec Empire to the River Valley
  civilizations. What similarities/differences can
  you find socially, politically, economically,
  and religiously.

16
Chavin 900 250 BCE

• Very diverse environment (Andes mountains,
  jungles, coastal plains)
• Maize, quinoa, potatoes, LLAMAS
• Center of regional trade
• System of reciprocal labor obligations
  (monumental structures and irrigation)
• American metallurgy first developed in Andean
  region
• Not conquered or brought down by rebellion
• Rulers were buried with lots of gold, etc.
• Similar religious beliefs as Olmecs- jaguars,
  priests/shamans, etc.

17
(No Transcript)
18
QUESTIONS

• What role did nature and the environment play in
  the development of early civilizations in the
  Americas? (What geographic challenges did
  American civilizations face that Euro-Asian
  civilizations did not?)