Las Ánimas complex facts for kids

The Las Ánimas complex was an ancient culture that lived in northern Chile a long time ago. Think of it as a group of people who shared a similar way of life, including their tools, pottery, and customs. This culture existed in a region called Norte Chico between the years 800 and 1000 CE.

The Las Ánimas complex is very important because it came right before the famous Diaguita culture. It's like a stepping stone, showing how people's lives and skills changed over time. Before the Las Ánimas complex, another culture called the El Molle complex lived in Norte Chico from about 300 to 700 CE.

What They Made: Pottery

People from the Las Ánimas complex were skilled at making pottery. They created pots and other clay items with special designs. These designs were often straight lines, painted in white, red, or black. The black color came from a shiny, dark mineral called specular hematite, which they found in the earth.

Working with Metal: Copper

The Las Ánimas complex is also known for something very exciting: it has the earliest proof of people working with copper in the Norte Chico region. This means they were among the first to learn how to take copper from the ground and shape it into tools or other objects. This skill, called copper metallurgy, was a big step forward in how ancient people used natural resources.