th ▁centuries ▁BC . ▁It ▁pre - dated ▁the ▁Mes o amer ican ▁Ol m ec ▁civil ization ▁by ▁nearly ▁two ▁mill enn ia . ▁It ▁was ▁contempor aneous ▁with ▁the ▁Egypt ▁following ▁the ▁un ification ▁of ▁its ▁kingdom ▁under ▁Nar mer ▁and ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁Egypt ian ▁hier og lyph ics . ▁ ▁Monument al ▁architecture , ▁including ▁earth work ▁platform ▁m ounds ▁and ▁sun ken ▁pla zas ▁have ▁been ▁identified ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁civil ization . ▁Arch ae ological ▁evidence ▁points ▁to ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁text ile ▁technology ▁and ▁the ▁worship ▁of ▁common ▁god ▁symbols . ▁Government , ▁possibly ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁the ocracy , ▁is ▁assumed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁required ▁to ▁manage ▁the ▁region . ▁However , ▁numerous ▁questions ▁remain ▁about ▁its ▁organization . ▁In ▁arch ae ological ▁nom en cl ature , ▁the ▁culture ▁was ▁pre - cer am ic ▁culture ▁of ▁the ▁pre - Col umb ian ▁Late ▁Arch a ic ▁period . ▁It ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁lack ed ▁cer am ics ▁and ▁art . ▁ ▁O ng o ing ▁scholar ly ▁debate ▁pers ists ▁over ▁the ▁extent ▁to ▁which ▁the ▁fl our ishing ▁of ▁Norte ▁Ch ico ▁resulted ▁from ▁its ▁abund ant ▁mar itime ▁food ▁resources , ▁and ▁the ▁relationship ▁that ▁these ▁resources ▁would ▁suggest ▁between ▁coast al ▁and ▁in land ▁sites . ▁ ▁The ▁role ▁of ▁sea fo od ▁in ▁the ▁Norte ▁Ch ico ▁di et ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁subject ▁of ▁scholar ly ▁debate . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 3