Coasts, deserts, and grasslands beyond the high Andes—cultures adapting to vast frontiers and rich shorelines.
Mesoamerica
Includes the Olmec, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, and Mexica/Aztec.
The Andes
Includes the Chavín, Moche, Nazca, Wari, Tiwanaku, and Inca.
South America
Includes the Chimor, Mochehe and Inca civilization in the Andes.
The Caribbean
Includes the Taíno, Carib, and the Arawak from the Eastern and Western Caribbean Islands
Northern North America
Indigenous tribes in regions north of the Rio Grande include: the Coahuiltecan, the Lipan Apache and Comanche, the Hopewell Culture and Mississippi Culture, and the Iroquois Confederacy: Comprising the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and later the Tuscarora nations.
Amazonia
Includes the Yanomamo, Kayapo, Marajoara, and the Tapajó.
Southern North America
Indigenous tribes in regions south of the Rio Grande include: The Coahuiltecan, Lipan Apache, Tonkawa, Karankawa, and the Jumano.
Quick Facts
- Major cultures: Chinchorro (Atacama coast), Valdivia (Ecuador), Mapuche (Southern Cone), La Aguada (NW Argentina)
- Timeframes: c. 5000 BCE – contact (region-specific)
- Notable customs & beverages: early mummification (Chinchorro), coastal fisheries; chicha, mate (later widespread)
- Languages/scripts: Mapudungun, diverse lowland and southern families; no single script tradition
Timeline of the Ancestors
- 5000–2000 BCE — Chinchorro tradition — Early artificial mummification along the Atacama coast.
- 3500–1800 BCE — Valdivia — Early pottery on Ecuador’s coast; figurines and trade networks.
- 200–900 CE — La Aguada — Metallurgy and feline iconography in NW Argentina.
- 1000–1500 CE — Southern Cone polities — Mapuche resistance traditions; regional ceramics and textiles.
Peoples & Cultures
- Chinchorro — Maritime lifeways; complex mortuary practices.
- Valdivia — Coastal villages with some of the earliest pottery in the Americas.
- Mapuche — Woodworking, textiles, and strong local autonomy into the colonial era.
Sites & Landscapes
- Arica/Atacama coast — Chinchorro cemeteries.
- Valdivia area (Ecuador) — Early ceramic sites.
- NW Argentina — La Aguada centers.
Customs & Beverages
- Rituals: coastal offerings; ancestor veneration.
- Daily life: fishing, gathering shellfish, inland farming.
- Beverages: chicha variants; yerba mate (later prominence).
Artifacts & Iconography
- Chinchorro mummies, Valdivia figurines, Aguada metalwork.
Language & Scripts
- Languages: Mapudungun; multiple families across the south.
- Writing: no indigenous script tradition attested.
Further Reading & Sources
- Add 3–6 reputable sources or museum pages here.
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