Museum Rietberg. 23. November 2012 to 10. March Gallery texts. Museum Rietberg, Zürich

Transcription

1 Museum Rietberg Chavín Peru s Mysterious Temple in the Andes 23. November 2012 to 10. March 2013 Gallery texts

2 The landscapes of the north-central Andes The north-central Andes form a region of climatic zones ranging between three extremes: (1) the dry coastal desert on the Pacific, (2) the highlands rising up to the east of there, and (3) the tropical Amazon basin. (1) The desert climate to the west of the Andean mountain chains is determined by the cold coastal waters. The cool sea winds are warmed so quickly by the land masses that mist forms immediately. The desert plain is dissected by fertile river oases which are ideal for irrigated agriculture and the cultivation of cotton. (2) The highlands are divided into numerous ecological zones: The region at the foot of the Andes, between 500 and 2,300 metres above sea-level, known as yunga. The fertile valleys which are particularly suitable for fruit-growing. The inner Andean valleys of the quechua lying between 2,300 and 3,500 metres above sea-level. Crops in this fertile zone include maize, beans, squashes and pumpkins, and various tubers. The suni zone situated between 3,500 and 4,000 metres above sea-level. Here tubers such as potatoes, ulluco and oca are cultivated. The puna lying at a height of 4,000 to 4,800 metres which is cold and has wide day and night temperature variation. In the high plateaus there are numerous lakes and lagoons. This is the region of the camelid herdsmen. Above the puna there are the glaciers and snow-covered mountains. (3) The lushly vegetated eastern slopes of the Andes stretch down into the humid tropical Amazon basin. Here the coca bush and other medicinal and useful plants thrive. It is the home of the parrots, caymans and jaguars. Andean cultural history has been crucially marked by the social interactions between the different zones. They played an important role in the formation of the first complex societies. Chronology Archaic (circa 8,000 3,500 BC) Timespan from the last Ice Age to the construction of the first large ceremonial buildings Increasingly sedentary communities organised in small social units Cultivated plants and domesticated animals First Formative (circa 3,500 1,700 BC) Construction of the first large ceremonial buildings Increasingly large social units Beginning of irrigated agriculture and of economic specialisations Early Formative (circa 1,700 1,200 BC) Increasing monumentalism of ceremonial architecture, and larger social units

3 Increased specialisation in crafts and start of production of ceramics Beginning of pictorial style in art and pictorial decoration of ceremonial buildings Middle Formative (circa 1, BC) Establishment of the Chavín pictorial language and of characteristic art style Widening zone of influence of individual ceremonial centres Parallel expansion of the centres on the coast and those in the highlands Late Formative (circa BC) High point of the expansion and influence of the powerful highland ceremonial centres (especially Chavín de Huántar, Kuntur Wasi) Cessation of activity of northern coastal centres Wide diffusion of Chavín pictorial language and art (as far as south coast; Paracas culture) Final Formative (circa BC) End of the activities of the ceremonial centre of Chavín de Huántar, and reconstruction in Kuntur Wasi Gradual end of Chavín pictorial language and art Collapse of achievements of the Formative Period, of its worldview and social structure First steps towards a social identity The area around Casma in the north-central coastal region of Peru is outstanding. The Río Casma and the Río Sechín irrigate a wide valley basin. Chains of hills break the cool sea winds and the coastal mist, and sunny days are plentiful. From here the coast is quickly reached, and with it a wealth of fish from the Pacific, and the sea routes. The highlands are also easily accessible. In terms of communications, the lower Casma valley could not be in a better position. With the beginning of irrigated agriculture the social unit grew in size: family households extended into agricultural communities. The new relations of dependents and claims to ownership all needed structure and organisation. The first large ceremonial buildings were constructed as places of ritual and social cohesion and for the material expression of common identity. The oldest of these ceremonial sites is Sechín Bajo: the first platform here, made of undressed stone and adobe and measuring 20 x 50 metres, was built as long ago as 3,500 BC. Compared to developments in the rest of the world, this is an astonishingly early date. It was only some 2,000 years later that people started using ceramic vessels.

4 The blossoming of arts, crafts, and pictorial language Around 1,700 BC (the beginning of the Early Formative Period) almost 2,000 years after the construction of the earliest monumental architecture there was a blossoming of crafts in the central Andes. Skilful craftsmen made the first ceramic vessels and carved intricate bone tools and stone plates. An art style as such began to emerge around 1,200 BC (the start of the Middle Formative Period). Many of the figural representations in this art were of composite creatures, half-human, half-animal. The attributes of big cats, birds of prey, snakes or spiders, were combined to make supernatural beings and to decorate ceramic bottles, stone cups, gold spoons or bone spatulas. In the reliefs of the monumental ceremonial buildings, realistic depictions were replaced by supernatural composite creatures, and several centres in the coastal region and the highlands grew in importance and influence. They are now more fittingly called temples. The creatures depicted had a fixed place in mythology and in a worldview which was apparently shared by numerous regional traditions. Although archaeologists speak of different styles such as Cupisnique, Tembladera or Limoncarro, we can recognise a shared foundation among all of these traditions. The priests of Kuntur Wasi Kuntur Wasi (Quechua: Condor s Nest ) lies in the highlands of Cajamarca at an altitude of 2,300 metres. In this magnificent setting, the inhabitants of the highlands built a ceremonial centre around 950 BC. They levelled the hilltop and constructed platforms and plazas (Ídolo phase, BC). Around 800 BC a number of significant innovations occurred: builders erected a three-tiered platform, each of its sides measuring 130 metres. The old buildings were destroyed and the site was prepared for new construction. Around a rectangular central plaza, platform buildings were erected and behind them was a round plaza (Kuntur Wasi phase, BC). Elaborate tombs, containing precious gold and stone jewellery as well as ritual objects, were a central part of the new buildings. The architects incorporated these into their plans for the platforms. The grave offerings are in the Cupisnique style of the coastal region. It seems that bodies of the deceased were transported from the coastal region to Kuntur Wasi to sanctify the newly constructed temple. Judging from their garments, they were priests or temple guardians who were in touch with the world of the gods. The items of gold jewellery of Kuntur Wasi were the first ritual artefacts made of metal in the whole of the Americas.

5 Chavín The creation of a world Chavín de Huántar lies in a steep mountain valley behind snow-clad mountains at an altitude of 3,200 metres. Here, where the mountain torrents can be destructive, where mudslides and earthquakes are an ever-present threat to human activity, builders erected a temple out of hewn blocks of stone, each weighing many tons. The people of Chavín diverted streams, created new waterways, experimented with light and sound, and shaped granite-hard stone as they liked. One must be close to the gods to have such presumption. Archaeological research has shown that the temple of Chavín was a pilgrimage centre for the local elites of distant regions, especially the river oases near the coast. On their arduous journeys across the passes of the Andes they experienced all the rigours of nature. When they had finally reached the temple, an entirely new experience awaited: step by step they would be transported into another world. The roaring of water in subterranean canals, the enchanting sound of conch-shell trumpets, mysterious stone-carved creatures, and sumptuously clad priests who seemed to appear from nowhere, provided a spectacular multimedia show. Admiring onlookers stood in the Plaza Major, and in the Circular Plaza people assembled who would participate in the transition to another world. Whoever was allowed to enter the inner labyrinth of the temple would encounter the divine a deeply moving, solemn, unforgettable experience which would strengthen their view of the world and the social order. Paracas and Moche The periphery and the legacy of Formative Period innovations The Paracas culture ( BC) of the southern coastal region of Peru is named after the main archaeological site of the peninsula. Its material legacy reflects a unique cultural history, but one that has also been subject to external influences. At the peak of Chavín culture, Paracas potters shaped double-spout bottles which were typical for their local region but decorated them with images that were unmistakeably Chavín. They also depicted human/feline composite creatures whose design was very different from the corresponding depictions of northern cultures. Despite these differences, it is clear that the society of the southern coastal region shared the Chavín worldview. On the northern coast, the Chavín tradition collapsed between BC. The rituals seem to have lost their power and Chavín s worldview, mythology and gods seemed exhausted. Later, from the 1 st century AD, the Moche culture (1st 9th century AD) consciously returned to the repertoire of forms and images of the Formative Period a rebirth of the Chavín gods.

6 Ceremonial buildings with pictorial decoration The oldest known architectural decoration dates from the period between 2,500 and 1,700 BC. In the highlands as well as on the coast, builders began to add façade decorations to numerous ceremonial buildings. Mostly these were mud reliefs with painted surrounds. At the outer wall of the ceremonial centre of Cerro Sechín we find mysterious reliefs which are not made from mud but carved from stone. They represent people of high rank. Starting from the portal at the back of the building these carvings form a procession on both sides leading to the central stairway at the front. Between the lines of figures, severed human body parts and inner organs are depicted. What is new here is the motif of a procession which the artists have created as a naturalistic and forceful narrative composition. It appears that a powerful regional elite participated in the construction. Members of that elite were able to lead processions and sacrificial rituals; we do not know whether in a real or metaphorical sense. Those overseeing the construction must have attached great importance to visual communication. Whereas the first ceremonial buildings expressed common power through their size, here it is images in stone which seem to manifest the strength of a ruling social class. The spider as beheader (objects 1, 2) Spiders or spider-like creatures can be seen on numerous artefacts such as stone plates. Architectural reliefs depicting spider mouthparts have also been excavated, for example at the ceremonial centre of Limoncarro. Spider creatures often hold severed human heads with closed eyes and downturned mouths. The creature on the stone plate (1) even carries a bag filled with severed heads on its back. The spider probably acted at the command of the highest deity as beheader. Spider attributes in connection with beheading reappear some thousand years later in pictorial representations by the Moche culture, especially in the form of the Ai-Apaec (Quechua: the creator god, 169). The inexhaustible variety of ceramic bottles (objects 1, 2) A long-lived innovation of Formative Period pottery is the U-shaped spout which is put on to the closed vessel body on to which a vertical tube is attached: the stirrup spout. Almost all ceramic bottles have this spout shape. In shaping the bodies of ceramic vessels, the potters gave full rein to their creativity, and the treatment of the surfaces is also wonderfully varied. Animal figures include big cats, camelids and monkeys but also birds and sea turtles.

7 The potters also depicted fruit and cultivated plants such as cassava, soursops and mango melons. The San Pedro cactus, which was used to prepare a hallucinogenic ritual snuff or drink was also often shown. Remarkable among the human figures are the acrobats with their contorted postures. Unfortunately, nothing is known about their social position. Audience with the gods psychoactive substances Human-shaped creatures with animal attributes probably symbolise the entry into a superhuman state of perception. By the Middle Formative Period (1, BC) such depictions were common. Only a few people of high social rank, most probably priests, were entitled to enter into this state. The ceremonial buildings, which are now more appropriately called temples, were used for this purpose. What was decisive was the ritual intake of psychoactive substances. In skilfully worked stone mortars, ingredients such as slices of the mescaline-containing dried San Pedro cactus were turned into a snuff. The powder was sniffed from little plates using tubes made of bone. The priests could then have audiences with the gods and receive important messages. Networks, contacts, dynamics (a; circa 3,000 1,700 BC) Several common architectonic and craft design features show that communities in different regions were in contact with each other, for example, the inhabitants of the highlands around Kotosh and Piruro or the coastal communities from Caral to Sechín. In the valley of Lambayeque, another local cultural tradition existed with ceremonial centres serving community cohesion in different places. (b; circa 1, BC) Some centres with monumental architecture became restricted spaces, and were used for making contact with the gods, and today we refer to these as temples. These were places of innovation, for the production of meaning and the strengthening of religious belief. Some important temples had a wide influence which we can see today in the different traditions of art and architecture. (c; circa BC) The temple of Chavín de Huántar is at its zenith. Its sphere of influence reaches far into the southern highlands of Ayacucho. Even in the Paracas culture of the southern coast, Chavín s influence cannot be ignored. In the northern highlands other temple complexes reach their peak at around the same time: Kuntur Wasi and Pacopampa. What is remarkable is the clear move of the most important centres from the coastal region into the highlands; the reasons for this are still unclear. Map: Drawn from data supplied by Dr Yoshio Onuki

8 The Plaza Mayor Premonition of the Divine With our back to the raging Río Mosna we turn away from the powers of nature and go down the steps to the Plaza Mayor. Here we enter a world of artifice. On all four sides there are steps on which people once stood, as they did on the two lateral platforms. If you stand in the middle of the sunken Plaza Mayor, the facade of the temple building A appears mighty and overwhelming. The visitor moves up across the central staircase to the Plaza Menor in front of the temple building. The staircase is constructed of black and white stone as is the lintel of the sumptuous Black and White Portal in front of the rhythmically designed stone facade. Once, lavishly dressed priests appeared unannounced and awe-inspiring in the openings of the galleries high up in the facade and in the Black and White Portal. There they presented themselves to the spectators. The spectators were witnesses to bizarre and wonderous events. They got an inkling of what was happening further up in the Circular Plaza. The head sculptures in the facade gave them a hint: a transformation of the priviliged into a superhuman state. The Circular Plaza Entering Another World Only chosen people were allowed to proceed from the Plaza Mayor across the right-hand staircase, the only one which does not have an axial orientation. Further up, they reached a narrow gallery which led to the sunken Circular Plaza. The side wings of the building provided seclusion and intimacy. The spectacle took place every year on 21 December. It is on this day that the sun rises exactly over the prominent mountain spur on the other side of the Río Mosna. It then stands in the axis of the Circular Plaza, building B, and the Lanzón Gallery in the interior of the temple building a magical moment. Depictions of jaguars can be seen in the lower series of reliefs in the plaza. The sound of rushing water in the channel under the plaza seems to bring to life the parade of wild beasts. The square reliefs above them show a procession of humans. The lavishly clothed figures are blowing the pututu (conch-shell trumpet) and are carrying spondylus oysters as sacrificial offerings, or shoots of the San Pedro cactus. Some figures have transformed into human/animal composites. Here in the plaza, the preparation took place for the high point of the ceremony: the coming of the Lanzón. Accompanied by the enchanting sound of the pututu, people deposited sacrificial offerings in the Ofrendas Gallery at the right hand side of the plaza. Then they took hallucinogenic drugs. The vessel used was finally hurled down into the shaft of the channel below where it was swallowed up by the raging torrent.

9 The Lanzón Encounter with the Divine Those who were allowed to go up the steep and narrow stairs from the Circular Plaza and through the labyrinth of galleries to finally reach the Lanzón Gallery were already in another state of perception. Only when they had got used to the dim light did they recognise the face and form of the four-metre high lance-shaped figure with fangs, snake hair, claws and eccentric, upturned eyes an unforgettable moment. Here, visitors may have consulted the oracle, perhaps about whether rain would come, rain on which societies in the highlands and even more in the river oases on the coast were absolutely dependent. It is possible that priests interpreted the running of a liquid over the face of the Lanzón. A groove leading frontally from the high headdress across the forehead suggests this. The architectonic composition, the archaeological finds and the images on the relief all support the interpretation that the encounter with the Lanzón was a privilege reserved for the elite of various, often far-flung regions. The Chavín Music Project Sound and music played a crucial role in the temple of Chavín. The conch-shell trumpets which were excavated in the Caracolas Gallery near the Circular Plaza, numerous relief depictions, and the architecture all testify to this. In a museum exhibition of art and culture, on the other hand, sound seldom plays a significant role. But here we want to pursue a new course.the renowned Swiss jazz trombonist Michael Flury travelled to Chavín last March. There he met the famous Peruvian musician Jean Pierre Magnet, the archaeologists leading the project, and the psychoacoustic specialist Miriam Kolar. The group explored the temple with trombone, saxophone, and conch-shell trumpet. It was as if a dead organism had blood pumped through its veins again! Michael Flury recorded musical themes played on the conch-shell trumpet for each of three sites: the Plaza Mayor, the Circular Plaza, and the Lanzón. The music is modern, like the arrangement of the exhibited artefacts, the lighting and the language in which they are described -- modern and therefore accessible and comprehensible for us; the result of a sensitive work of translation. The musical project is supported by Pro Helvetia and the Rahn Kulturfonds. The results were also, atmospheric Peruvian-Swiss concerts in Chavín, Lima, Bern and Zürich. Restoration of sculptures Some of the world s most beautiful artworks can be seen in Museum Rietberg. Their value can be appreciated not only for the countries where they were created but also in an international context. It is a

10 vital part of our aim at Museum Rietberg also to support research, communication and the conservation of cultural goods in their countries of origin. Every year excavations at Chavín bring to light a great many stone sculptures, so that storage rooms are full to overflowing, and in the temple itself precious pictorial works are part of the original architecture a cultural-historical fund of world rank that must be protected and preserved. Together with the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, Museum Rietberg is financing a conservation and restoration project for stone sculptures in Chavín de Huántar. The work is taking place in close collaboration with the Peruvian Ministry of Culture, archaeologists on site, and the local population. The temple buildings as well as the sculptures destined for restoration were documented in threedimensions using the latest high-precision technology. Data gathered are now being used for damage assessment, monitoring and planning the restoration work that needs to be undertaken The workshop was set up in August/September 2012 at the same time as the first restoration and stabilisation work. This project was directed by Gregor Frehner and Aldo Ledergerber. In future conservation and restoration work in Chavín, the exchange of knowledge between Peru and Switzerland will play an important role. Project supervision and approval: Ministry of Culture, Peru Project management: Dr Luis G. Lumbreras, Peru, and Peter Fux, Museum Rietberg Technical management: Gregor Frehner, Winterthur Funding: Swiss Federal office of Culture and Museum Rietberg Zürich Documentation of building elements and sculptures: ArcTron 3D GmbH