Final answer:
The Chavin's legacy is foundational to future Andean civilizations, particularly in religion and culture. The Maya, not the Chavin, developed the first writing system in the Western Hemisphere. The Olmec culture laid early groundwork for Mesoamerican civilizations but did not create this writing system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The legacy of the Chavin is most accurately described by the option that suggests their religion served as the foundation for future Andean civilizations. This pre-Columbian culture, which existed around 900 BCE, significantly influenced the religious and artistic expressions in the Andean region. Even after the decline of the Chavin influence around 200 BCE, emerging cultures like the Moche, Nazca, and Tiwanaku carried forward many of the innovations and cultural practices first developed by the Chavin civilization.
The Maya civilization is credited with developing the first writing system in the Western Hemisphere as evidenced by the combination of pictographic and alphabetic elements in their script. This system was not only used by the priestly class but also by the urban elite, a noteworthy indication of its widespread use and significance.
Contrastingly, the Olmec civilization, often referred to as the mother of Mesoamerican cultures, provided the foundation for subsequent civilizations such as the Maya, but it was the Maya themselves who developed and utilized the fully realized writing system that is recognized as the earliest in the region. The contributions of the Olmec, therefore, lie in setting the cultural stage upon which later achievements, including writing, were made possible.