The central figure represents the Staff God, a deity in human form with animal characteristics. He is always depicted from the front, holding staffs with serpents’ heads. A headdress of snakes, belt with snake heads and divided earlobes reinforce his importance. The composite human–animal nature of the supernatural being is shown by feline fangs and raptor claws serving as hands and feet. So the three levels—the underworld, earth and heavens—are represented by three powerful creatures, the snake, jaguar and eagle. The personage is flanked by two guardians, who are always in profile. They have similar attributes to the deity, but also have birds coming out of their mouths.

The Chavín culture demonstrates the first sophisticated working of metal in South America. Gold dust and nuggets were initially washed from river beds and beaten into thin sheets. The smiths used as little gold as possible—a gram can be hammered into a sheet of one square metre. The rectangular shape was cut with a knife. Techniques of repoussé and chasing were used to shape the gold from above and below, by stretching the sheet over stone or bone anvils to make the volumes that form the images. Inlaid mineral, probably turquoise, would originally have formed the eyes and other ornaments on the figures.

The rectangle of worked gold was a funerary offering, excavated from the temple complex of Chavín de Huántar. It may have served several possible functions: a crown, a plaque, an ornament for the body. The plaque was originally attached to something, probably fabric or clothing, as can be seen by the pairs of holes punched on each side and on the lower corners. These holes were made so that the gold band could be sewn onto another surface using filaments of fibre, hair or wire.

As the imagery of the ornament and its precious material make clear, the dead man was of high status, possibly a priest–ruler. Shamanic trances formed part of religious ceremonies in the theocratic Chavín culture, and were possibly induced by coca, snake and cactus venom, or other pyschotropic substances.

Christine Dixon

The central figure represents the Staff God, a deity in human form with animal characteristics. He is always depicted from the front, holding staffs with serpents’ heads. A headdress of snakes, belt with snake heads and divided earlobes reinforce his importance. The composite human–animal nature of the supernatural being is shown by feline fangs and raptor claws serving as hands and feet. So the three levels—the underworld, earth and heavens—are represented by three powerful creatures, the snake, jaguar and eagle. The personage is flanked by two guardians, who are always in profile. They have similar attributes to the deity, but also have birds coming out of their mouths.

The Chavín culture demonstrates the first sophisticated working of metal in South America. Gold dust and nuggets were initially washed from river beds and beaten into thin sheets. The smiths used as little gold as possible—a gram can be hammered into a sheet of one square metre. The rectangular shape was cut with a knife. Techniques of repoussé and chasing were used to shape the gold from above and below, by stretching the sheet over stone or bone anvils to make the volumes that form the images. Inlaid mineral, probably turquoise, would originally have formed the eyes and other ornaments on the figures.

The rectangle of worked gold was a funerary offering, excavated from the temple complex of Chavín de Huántar. It may have served several possible functions: a crown, a plaque, an ornament for the body. The plaque was originally attached to something, probably fabric or clothing, as can be seen by the pairs of holes punched on each side and on the lower corners. These holes were made so that the gold band could be sewn onto another surface using filaments of fibre, hair or wire.

As the imagery of the ornament and its precious material make clear, the dead man was of high status, possibly a priest–ruler. Shamanic trances formed part of religious ceremonies in the theocratic Chavín culture, and were possibly induced by coca, snake and cactus venom, or other pyschotropic substances.

Christine Dixon