PRE-COLUMBIAN: Indigenous American culturePRE-COLUMBIAN: Indigenous American culturebefore Europeans landed in the New Worldbefore Europeans landed in the New World
--BY 2000 BC, VILLAGES OF--BY 2000 BC, VILLAGES OF ABOUT 200 PEOPLE IN THEABOUT 200 PEOPLE IN THE VALLEYS AND AROUND THEVALLEYS AND AROUND THE LAKES NEAR MODERNLAKES NEAR MODERN GUATEMALA CITYGUATEMALA CITY
--POTTERY (NO WHEEL)--POTTERY (NO WHEEL)
TLATILCO TLATILCO (“where things(“where thingsare hidden;”are hidden;”village outside village outside modern Mexico modern Mexico City) City)
COLIMA COLIMA
NAYARIT NAYARIT
OLMECSOLMECS “ “Land of Rubber” Land of Rubber”
JADE JADE
OLMECSOLMECS
LA VENTA LA VENTA
OLMECSOLMECS
TEOTIHUACAN: By 200 AD becomes the firstTEOTIHUACAN: By 200 AD becomes the firstlarge metropolitan center in the Americas large metropolitan center in the Americas
PYRAMID OF THE SUN PYRAMID OF THE SUN
TEOTIHUACAN TEOTIHUACAN
TEMPLE OFTEMPLE OF QUETZALCOATL QUETZALCOATL (FEATHERED SERPENT)(FEATHERED SERPENT)
CIUDADELA CIUDADELA (60,000 (60,000 PEOPLE)PEOPLE)
TLALOCAN (Paradise of Tlaloc) TLALOCAN (Paradise of Tlaloc)
MAYA: UAXACTUN (GUATEMALA) MAYA: UAXACTUN (GUATEMALA)
RED STUCCO RED STUCCO
GIANT JAGUARGIANT JAGUAR AND SERPENTAND SERPENT MASKSMASKS
MAYA: COPAN (HONDURAS) MAYA: COPAN (HONDURAS)
MAIN PLAZA MAIN PLAZA BALL COURT BALL COURT
PYRAMIDS PYRAMIDS
MAYA: TIKAL (GUATEMALA) MAYA: TIKAL (GUATEMALA)
STELAE STELAE
STELAE STELAE
MAYA: PALENQUE (MEXICO) MAYA: PALENQUE (MEXICO)
MAYA: PALENQUE (MEXICO) MAYA: PALENQUE (MEXICO)
ROOF COMBROOF COMB (TEMPLE OF (TEMPLE OF THE SUN) THE SUN)
MAYA MAYA
CHICHEN ITZACHICHEN ITZA
Chichen Itza:Chichen Itza:--On Yucatan--On YucatanPeninsula; thePeninsula; thecity covers city covers 6 sq. miles6 sq. miles
--Itza were a--Itza were alater, northernlater, northerngroup of Mayagroup of Maya
--There had --There had previously previously been a sacredbeen a sacredwell here; thewell here; thename meansname means““well at thewell at themouth of themouth of theItza.”Itza.”
TZOLKIN:TZOLKIN: 260 DAY CALENDAR260 DAY CALENDAR (RITUAL CALENDAR)(RITUAL CALENDAR) 52 GROUPS OF 5 DAYS52 GROUPS OF 5 DAYS
HAAB:HAAB: 365 DAY CALENDAR365 DAY CALENDAR (SOLAR CALENDAR) (SOLAR CALENDAR) 1 YEAR = “TUN”1 YEAR = “TUN” 18 MONTHS OF 20 DAYS,18 MONTHS OF 20 DAYS, + 5 “NAMELESS” DAYS + 5 “NAMELESS” DAYS
MAYA: CODEXMAYA: CODEX
BONAMPAKBONAMPAK(“Painted walls”)(“Painted walls”) GILES HEALY GILES HEALY
MAYA: ARCHEOLOGYMAYA: ARCHEOLOGY
TENOCH (CHIEF) TENOCH (CHIEF) TENOCHTITLAN TENOCHTITLAN
(TENOCH’S CITY)(TENOCH’S CITY)
AZTECS AZTECS
PRECOLUMBIAN SOUTHPRECOLUMBIAN SOUTHAMERICA: PERUAMERICA: PERU
PARACASPARACAS
PARACAS CULTURE (c. 300s BC)PARACAS CULTURE (c. 300s BC)
MOCHE CULTUREMOCHE CULTURE
““STIRRUPSTIRRUP SPOUT SPOUT
VESSEL” VESSEL”
NAZCA CULTURE: c.200-600 ADNAZCA CULTURE: c.200-600 AD
NAZCA: Southwest Peru, NAZCA: Southwest Peru, slightly inland from ocean slightly inland from ocean
NAZCA CULTURENAZCA CULTURE
NAZCA LINES:NAZCA LINES:A series of figuresA series of figures(mostly animals) and(mostly animals) andabstract markingsabstract markingsdrawn into the desert drawn into the desert floor, some almostfloor, some almost2000 years old. Of2000 years old. Ofimmense size—some immense size—some of the figures are wellof the figures are wellover 300 yards acrossover 300 yards acrossand some of theand some of theabstract designs areabstract designs areover a mile and a halfover a mile and a halflong.long.
““GEOGLYPHS” GEOGLYPHS”
NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES
WALKING/DANCING:WALKING/DANCING:--sacred pathways, --sacred pathways, perhaps representingperhaps representing deities or mythologicaldeities or mythological beings?beings?--paths for, or --paths for, or choreographies of, choreographies of, sacred dances or sacred dances or cult rituals? Perhaps cult rituals? Perhaps involving shamanisminvolving shamanism or the use of or the use of hallucinogenic plants?hallucinogenic plants?
NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES
WATER:WATER: --intended to invoke --intended to invoke water/rain, perhaps in water/rain, perhaps in conjunction with rituals?conjunction with rituals? --some of the lines seem --some of the lines seem to follow the path of to follow the path of underground streams—underground streams— were the lines meant to were the lines meant to mark underground mark underground water sources?water sources?
NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES
ASTRONOMY AND ASTROLOGYASTRONOMY AND ASTROLOGY
NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES
LibraLibra The CondorThe Condor
ASTRONOMY AND ASTROLOGYASTRONOMY AND ASTROLOGY
NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES
ASTRONOMY AND ASTROLOGYASTRONOMY AND ASTROLOGY
Hummingbird: aligned to summer solstice; Hummingbird: aligned to summer solstice; sun rises directly through itsun rises directly through it
THE INCA THE INCA
MACHU PICCHUMACHU PICCHU
GOLD: SWEAT OF THEGOLD: SWEAT OF THESUNSUN
SILVER: TEARS OF THE SILVER: TEARS OF THE MOONMOON
TRAPEZOID TRAPEZOID
RECTANGULAR RECTANGULAR BUILDING PLANS BUILDING PLANS
Blocks withBlocks with irregular irregular shapes, but shapes, but which fit which fit together together perfectly perfectly
No mortar No mortar
Unadorned; plain, flat-faced blocksUnadorned; plain, flat-faced blocks
HIRAM BINGHAMHIRAM BINGHAM
MACHU PICCHU:MACHU PICCHU:JULY 24, 1911JULY 24, 1911