Summary

South America's oldest complex society arose during the first millennium BC in the mountains at Chavin de Huantar, and the Chavin style was to dominate Peruvian art and architecture for hundreds of years and influence all that came after. In the first detailed up-to-date treatment of Chavin, Professor Burger pays special attention to the unique character of early Andean civilization and the distinctive processes responsible for its development, arguing that Chavin civilization represents a synthesis of earlier traditions, forged through the impact of long-distance trade and a new religious ideology.