THE CHAVIN CULTURE

The Chavin culture is names after the old town of Chavin de Huantur and began in Peru about 1200 B.C. The Chavin culture possesses certain distinctive Old World features.

The Chavin cat-god is widespread and resembles the cat-dog found at Bubastis in the Egyptian delta. The design of a man between two cats is also widespread. The ‘Keeper of thee Cats’ was an important deity of the ancient Sumerians to whom he was known as Mishi, Tas, Tashia and Ishi. The design is found also in India, the Middle East, Egypt and the Mediterranean countries and is very similar to that found elsewhere in South America.

In lower Egypt there have been dup up two gold pots whose patterns appear clearly and without any ambiguity to reproduce a cob of maize of the variety known as popcorn.

Both Peru and the Old World notables were carried around in litters.
Both the Sumerians and the Incas held the rainbow as sacred and the kings of both wore artificial fringes on their foreheads. Many figures or ducks were found resembling the Babylonian weights, as standard talent being in the form of a duck.

One hundred and fifty miles north of Cuzco, a stone tablet bearing these twenty-two incised characters was found. An almost identical tablet was found in Bolivia. The Verrills believe this to be an Old World inscription.

The pattern of this 18th dynasty Egyptian cup resembles the popcorn variety of maize.

From The God-Kings and The Titans by James Bailey

New World/Old World Links Index