The Enigmatic Norte Chico Civilization! Quiz

Answer: Amazon River

Before the discovery of the Norte Chico civilization, archaeologists believed that the Chavin Culture, which existed in approximately 900 BC, was the earliest in Peru. The Norte Chico, however, predates the Chavin at approximately 3500 BC! The Norte Chico civilization was found at the confluence of the Fortaleza, Supe, Huaura, and Pativilca Rivers in a coastal river valley. Consisting of at least 30 cities, it is considered to be the oldest known civilization in the Americas.

Answer: Huaricanga

With remains dated at approximately 3500 BC, Huaricanga is considered to be the oldest city of the Norte Chico. Located about fourteen miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, it is believed that the city was an important religious center. Two huancas, or standing stones, believed to have been used for ceremonial purposes, have been found there.

A temple has been discovered that has been radiocarbon dated to c.2560 BC.

Answer: Seafood

Although the region was very dry, it is believed that agriculture played an important role in the development of Norte Chico. Irrigation of crops, such as sweet potatoes, squash, beans, and corn would have been necessary; fishing appears to have also been an important occupation.

There is evidence of seafood that most certainly came from coastal waters, such as clams, mussels, anchovies, and sardines.

Answer: True

The Norte Chico civilization created rectangular, terraced pyramids that range in size from 3,000 m3 to over 100,000 m3. Built out of quarried stone, as well as stones from the river, it appears that workers would drag the materials to the building site by hand using shicra-bags made out of reed. Piramide Mayor, the largest of the six pyramid mounds found in the ancient capital, dates back to about the same time as, or may even predate, the Great Pyramid of Giza in ancient Egypt.

Answer: It shifted the focus of research away from the highland areas to lowland areas.

Before the discovery of the Norte Chico civilization, historians were looking more in the Andes Mountains area for clues pointing to an earlier group rather than looking closer at lowland coastal areas. The reason historians were looking in the mountains is because that was the location of the Inca civilization during the 13th-16th centuries and an earlier one called the Chavín, which dates back to about 900 BC.

In fact, for a long time, the Chavín civilization was believed to be the oldest in South America.

It was a bit surprising to locate the Norte Chico civilization because of its location in an extremely dry area; there are, however, more than 50 rivers in the region that carry snowmelt from the mountains. That makes for lots of water to use in irrigation, which, of course, guaranteed the success of the Norte Chico civilization.

Answer: Cotton

It is believed that growing cotton was the most important economic activity for the Norte Chico civilization, although they undoubtedly traded foodstuffs as well. Archaeological evidence along the coast of Peru confirms that cotton fishing nets were used.

The people, of course, needed the seafood protein in their diet; on the other hand, however, they needed the cotton to make the nets to catch the fish. Also used for textiles, bags, clothing, and other purposes, modern historians believe that control of the cotton crop in Norte Chico helped to determine social and economic status of the civilization.

Answer: Staff God

Called the Staff God because it is depicted holding a staff in each hand, the deity also sported fanged teeth and oddly-shaped clawed feet, with snakes in his headdress or clothes. Although the Incas called the god Viracocha, discoveries in the Norte Chico provides proof that the Staff God had been worshiped for quite a while; the oldest depiction in the Norte Chico region has been carbon dated to 2250 BC.

It is considered to be the oldest picture of a god found in either North or South America.

The image is found on a variety of mediums used by many different peoples throughout the Andes region - both as fixed art, as on temple walls, and portable art, found on ceramic pieces and even clothing.

Answer: Quipu

Also called "talking knots", quipus were used by a number of early cultures, including those in China, Hawaii, and Peru, including both the Incas and the people of Norte Chico. Made of cotton threads or strings, quite a bit of information could be stored on a quipu.

The Incas used them for record keeping, census records, and military organization, in addition to tax collection. Quipus have used to record both numbers and writing, and were especially useful because not only due to their portability, but also because of their ability to preserve information based on the color of the thread, the type of knot used, the number of knots, and their position on the string.

Answer: Caral

The ancient city of Caral is called "the cradle of civilization of the Western world", and is believed to be the oldest urban center in the Americas. It is known for its pyramids, even though they are not as grand as pyramids found at other world sites. Discovered in 1905, at first scientists believed Caral was an unimportant location. Archaeologists did not return until 1941; at that time, however, the exploration of the city was again abandoned, as it was believed that the pyramids were really just sand mounds.

It was not until 1997 that historians determined that the site was historically significant; it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009.

Answer: Pottery

Perhaps it is best first to discuss what was found at Norte Chico sites. Architecture in the form of pyramids was discovered, as well as textiles and musical instruments. Evidence of the farming and irrigation of food crops and cotton is apparent, as well as the use of seafood from the coast for protein. Images of the Staff God have also been found. What hasn't been discovered is very much evidence regarding the type of government that ruled or overall disposition of the Norte Chico people. It appears that they did not engage in warfare. Very few artifacts that would be called visual arts, such as statues and the like, and have been found, and no pottery whatsoever.

Historians have theorized that the people must have roasted their vegetables and other food, as they did not possess pots with which to boil it.

Much about the Norte Chico people, however, remains a mystery to us today.