Pre-Columbian Americas

See also: Prehispanic Mesoamerica

pre-pottery Andean civilization

• also called "Archaic period"
• settlements on the west-slope of the Andes
• advantages of the location:
  • changes in elevation within close proximity of the ocean
    • provided multiple ecological environments
    • variety of plants (each adapted to the different elevation)
    • access to the ocean, especially for fishing
• population growth along three river valleys
  • Fortaleza, Pativilca, Caral-Supe rivers

City of Caral

City of Caral timeline

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caral

Period	Stage
2800 BC	early settlement in Picu valley
2600 BC	First constructions
2400 BC
2200 BC	Enlarged and reconstructed
2000 BC
1800 BC	city abandoned

Pyramids at Caral-Supe

• the oldest city in the Americas is "Caral-Supe" or "Caral" in Peru
  • "Caral" is the city
  • "Supe" = the valley
• built approx. 3,000 BC
  • contemporaneous (same time) with Ancient Egypt
• population was approx, 3,000
  • other similar sites suggest overall regional population of up to 20,000
• consists of ceremonial, monumental and administrative buildings/ structures
• city layout shows signs of social classes
  • large residential complexes near to ceremonial structures
  • small rooms in other areas
• built pyramids
• created the pattern of urban design in the Andes through to the Inca
• shows no signs of warfare of defensive structures

Collapse

• earthquakes
• wind-blown sand and sediment from wind shift towards inland from the sea
  • disrupted agriculture
  • disrupted fisheries

Amazon civilizations

Casarabe Culture, 500-1400 AD

• agriculture-based society in Amazon region of modern Bolivia (Llanos de Mojos) and southwestern Brazil
  • watery-region
• created urban centers with elevated terraces, monumental buildings and pyramid-shaped mounds
• water control via canals, reservoirs, causeways and islands
• pimary cities: Landivar and Cotoca

see

• Lost Cities of the Amazon Discovered from the Air (Smithsonian)

• Llanos de Moxos (wikipedia)

Metallurgy in pre-Columbian Americas

• Metallurgy in pre-Columbian Americas per region:
  • North America: no smelting
    • copper readily available, malleable by hammering
    • iron ore used to make jewelry, simple tools << confirm
      • easily exploitable in Great Lakes regions
      • but not applied to metallurgy
  • South America developed smelting
  • Mesoamerica metallurgy via South American diffusion
• see: Metallurgy in pre-Columbian America - Wikipedia
  • iron readily available
  • gold / silver / copper
    • gold hammered
    • tumbaga: copper-gold alloy
      • used for casting
  • gems used extensively / jade
  • obsidian used for edges/ knives/ cutting
    • ability to cut stone
    • but not wood
  • • source: The Minerals of Pre-Columbian America | Rock & Gem Magazine (rockngem.com)
  • • Andes region alloy use
      • tin used for specific but not general purposes >> "wirework bells"
        • tin deposits avail, not exploited
    • copper smelting in drafted furnaces
    • mercury
    • platinum developed in Andes region
      • copper, gold, silver alloys
      • technology adopted by Spanish
    • sinnabar
  • wood less useful
    • charcoal not developed
    • planks not exploited for buildings / ships

Writing in pre-Columbian Americas

• quipu
  • see : Quipu - Wikipedia

Aztecs / Aztec Empire

engineering

writing system

vocabulary

• aqueducts
• canals
• chinampas
• dikes
• hieroglyphs
• obsidian
• quetzal
  • tropical bird that Aztecs use for their feathers
• slash and burn agriculture
• tribute