Olmec and chavin civilizations?

Question

What were the key components and unique attributes of the Olmec and chavin civilzations that make them different from all the other early civilizations?

Answer 1

Starting with a similarity between an Olmec design and a specimen from Kotosh, Coe concludes that all New World civilizations derive from Olmec. This study, like others which would derive Peruvian civilization from Mesoamerican origins, is methodologically weak because it treats traits out of their archaeological context and because it assumes diffusion without considering alternative explanations of similarities.