Shamanism in Moche Art and Iconography - Maya Exploration Center

At 10,200.Ft, the site of Chavin de Huantar is named for theri~arby v:i.ll.age u+ Ckiaviri and was occupied from 1200-90t:)BC.In196'7 John Howe wrote a paper entitled "Form and Meaning In ChavinArt" in which he attempted to identify the iconographic programof the sculp't~~re at the temple ~itr~ictt.\rcs of Chavin de Huantar.'The ianzi.~~, is the- central image in the Old Temple at ~havin deH~~anter, Rows calls it the Great 1mage(Fig~~tr&43).. Tht? image has.c?.longatecl fangs and snakes extending off its head and waist.Rnwe .then st.\ggests that the hlew Temple is dedicated to another:image with elongated fangs and sn;~kes e:.:tending off its head andwais+ he nwmes the Sliaf.6 God (f'j.g~.~re 44). HI? al.so identiSies athird deity in the Old T'??fliple's courtyard he names the Smilingr., , -"?c.)d (I-igurc:? 413).I:Thc three images are separated from one anotheron th6.? basis of: post~lre and .faciill. o:pre:;riion.Rowe tool.:: thefanged mr~l.cth as a general. indictor of deity status.I't is thr?position of this paper that post\.ire and facial. ~xpressior.1 are nntre1 iable indicators of iclentity and that the 'three imager, are in+:act +:he same deity.Further, t,his "fanged deity" is the same ~4s;;the fanged deity Moche ghamans imitate in costume centurieslater. Other- scholars have notd the connection bekween the. ..f i3rlged r magss in Cl~avin and Moche art (Kublcr 1984; 394).'Thr? co~trtyard of the old temple at Chavin de H~tantwr isflankcd by bird anthrapomorphs. Howe calls these figuresg:..!ar.i::l:i.,7n.;::l:i n ancl .Chi $5 paper agr-~?es with hi!; assessmfi?r o w ? 19h7; .'The Plonhs Fanged Deity is fl-eq~~ently depicted with bird