CHAPTER 9
LESSON 2 Ancient Andean Civilizations
Lesson 2 Ancient Andean Civilizations
BEFORE YOU READ
TERMS & NAMES
In this lesson, you will learn about the early civilizations that
developed in the harsh environment of the Andes.
• Chavín ancient culture of
the Andes region united
mainly by religion
• textile woven cloth
• Nazca ancient culture that
arose along the southern
coast of present-day Peru
• aquifer an underground
water source
• Moche ancient culture that
arose along Peru’s northern
coast
AS YOU READ
Use a diagram like the one below to draw conclusions about the
three ancient Andean civilizations as you read Lesson 2.
Detail:
Detail:
The Chavín Civilization
The Nazca Civilization
(pages 295–296)
What was the Chavín civilization?
The Chavín culture flourished around 900
to 200 B.C. in the Andes of Peru. What people
know about this culture comes from ruins
found in a place called Chavín de Huantar.
Most of the ruins have to do with religious
structures and images.
Chavín de Huantar was most likely a
religious center. Chavín priests probably
had farmers, who made up most of Chavín
society, build the city. The Chavín culture
probably spread to northern and central Peru.
Archaeologists have found the Chavín art style
there in stone carvings, pottery, and in woven
cloth called textiles.
(pages 296–297)
How did the Nazca adapt to their harsh
environment?
The Nazca culture arose along the southern
coast of present-day Peru. It existed from
around 200 B.C. to A.D. 600.
Not much is known about the Nazca
culture. What people do know is that the
Nazca were farmers in a region that received
less than an inch of rain a year. So they built
a large system of underground canals to water
their crops.
The Nazca made beautiful pottery and
textiles made of wool. The wool came from
the alpaca, a camel-like animal. The Nazca are
also known for the drawings they etched into
the plains of southeastern Peru. The drawings
are known as the Nazca Lines. No one knows
what the lines were for. Some people believe
that the drawings were made to please the
gods. Other people believe the lines showed
where aquifers, or underground water sources,
were located.
1.
What was Chavín de Huantar probably
used for?
Ancient America
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2.
What do people think was the purpose of
the Nazca Lines?
The Moche Civilization
3.
How were the Moche able to farm in the hot
and dry region in which they lived?
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READING STUDY GUIDE
(pages 298–299)
What does Moche art tell us about their
civilization?
The Moche civilization arose on the northern
coast of Peru. It existed from around A.D. 100
to 700. The city of Moche was probably the
capital of the Moche civilization.
The region where the Moche people lived
was hot and dry. So the farmers channeled
the rivers from the Andes Mountains into
irrigation systems to water their crops. They
grew many different crops. They also fished
and hunted game.
The Moche were skilled architects. They
built temples, some of which still stand today.
The temples may have been the centers of
Moche government. Nobles ruled the people.
The lower classes, made up of farmers and
workers, paid taxes to repair the temples and
other buildings.
Archaeologists have learned much
about the Moche from objects found in their
tombs. The Moche made jewelry, which the
wealthy wore. They also wove textiles and
made pottery. No one knows why the Moche
civilization fell.
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