1. Art of the Americas Before 1300 Nikhil Shah Grace Ewing
Kattie Chen
2. Timeline
1500BC1200BC900BC600BC300BC0300AD600AD900AD1200AD1500AD Olmec
Teotihuacan Mayan Diquis Chavin Paracas Nazca Moche Hopewell
Florida Glades Culture Pueblo End
3. The New World
Hunters appeared in the Americas around 12,000 years ago and
inhabited various regions of the two continents
Theorized that they came from Asia through a land bridge across
the Bering Strait
There may have been connections with Europe along the Arctic
Coast
Different cultures developed
4. Mesoamerica
Encompasses the area from north of the Valley of Mexico to
present day Honduras, Belize, and western Nicaragua
Region ranges in terms of climate
The civilizations shared cultural similarities and trade
Ritual ball game
Built monumental ceremonial buildings
Complex system of multiple calendars (260 day ritual cycle and
a 365 day agricultural cycle)
Divided into elite and commoner classes
3 periods: Formative or Preclassic (1500 BCE-250 CE), Classic
(260-900 CE), and postclassic (900-1521 CE)
5. Map of Mesoamerica
6.
No form of writing
Large sculptures show desire to preserve history (great ruler
and events)
Large earthen mounds show astronomical significance possibly
indicates a calendar system
Religion based on animal spirits later included natural forces
when agriculture began
Materials used give evidence of long distance trade
Art work classified under Formative/Preclassic period
Mesoamerica-Olmec
7.
Colossal Head
La Venta, Mexico
900-400BCE
Carved from large basalt blocks (5-20 tons)
102 heads found at La Venta (5-12 tall)
Shows large, rounded and soft features
Close-fitting skull cap
Decorated earlobes
Mesoamerica-Olmec Timeline
8. In both cultures, imposing sculptures were used to
commemorate rulers and events
9. Mesoamerica-Teotihuacan
Largest city in the Americas between 350-650 CE (200,000
people)
Wealth based on trade controlled obsidian mines, made
pottery
City Center was religious and governmental center. Could hold
60,000 people for religious ceremonies
Wealth decreased as you moved away from the city center
Houses were traditionally a simple rectangle surrounding a
central open court. They had thatched roofs and plastered walls
(the wealthy had frescos)
10. Mesoamerica-Teotihuacan
11.
Temple of the Feathered Serpent
Uses talud-tablero (slope and panel) constructioneach platform
supports a raised tablero (entablature) that is surrounded by a
frame filled with sculptural decorations
Made after 350CE
Demonstrates characteristics of Teotihuacan artangular, flat,
and abstract
Originally
painted
Mesoamerica-Teotihuacan
12. Olmec vs. Teotihuacan
13. Teotihuacan
Bloodletting Ritual
Fresco (wet)
600-750 CE
Geometric style
Flat, no use of
perspective
Blood revitalizes
the earth
Timeline
14. Mayan
Civilization emerged during late Preclassic period (Tikal)
around (250 BCE-250 CE), reached peak during Classic period
(Palenque) in the lowlands of Guatemala, and dominated the Yucatan
peninsula during the Postclassic period (Itza) (900-1521)
Most sculpture depicted elite men and women rather than
gods
Favored low-relief carvings (seen on steles and buildings)
Artists had high status because of the importance of record
keeping
Most painting has survived on ceramics and a few large murals
(books were destroyed)
Influence of books seen in codex-style painting on vases
Used a sophisticated calendar system
Similar societal divisions as Greeks
Multiple competing cities
Nobles and priests hold higher class with large number of
peasants/workers
Artisans gained greater prominence
Pantheon of Gods
15. Mayan
Temple of Inscriptions
Late 7 thCentury CE during Classic period
In the Mayan temple
complex of Palenque
Present day Mexico
9 leveled pyramid (75)
Shrine
Vaulted chamber
Stucco faade
3 large text panels on back give temple its name
Combed roof
Stairs lead down through pyramid to underground tomb of Lord
Pakal
Part of a set 3 of lintels of a palace at Yaxchilan
Shown in unusually high relief allows very detailed carving
(Ex. Xoks garments and jewelry)
Queen appears serene and idealized indicating her importance in
the court as well as elite Mayan women in general
Mayan
19.
Late Classical Cylindrical Vessel
Painted Ceramic
600-900CE
Codex-style (featuring a fluid line and elegance similar to
that of manuscripts)
May illustrate an episode from a Mayan sacred text, Popol
Vuh
Hero Twins overcome death by defeating the lords of Xibalba,
the Mayan underworld
Xibalba sits on a platform with five female deities attending
to him
Old woman looks out the window to a seen where two men
(possibly the Hero Twins) sacrifice a bound victim and then revive
him to gain confidence of Xibalba
Inscriptions have not been entirely translated
Mayan
20.
El Castillo
Mayan architecture
800-1000CE
Made under during
Postclassic period when
the Itza rose in power
Different than previous pyramids--uses pillars and columns also
appears lower and broader
Columns look like inverted descending serpents
Brilliantly colored relief sculpture and animal paintings that
emphasize valiant warriors and the skill of ritual ballplayers
During spring and fall equinoxes, entering the setting sun
casts serpent bodies
Mayan Timeline
21. Buildings were used to demonstrate power and authority of
the city and serve gods Temple 1, Tikal Temple of Inscriptions,
Palenque El castillo, Itza
22.
People lived in extended family groups in towns led by
chiefsdid not live in hierarchical societies
Group called Diquis occupied fortified villages lasting from
700-1500 CE
Metal work (especially with gold and copper) was widespread
through Central America (lost-wax technique developed in
present-day Columbia and spread north from there)
Central America
23.
Figural Pendant
750-1550 CE
Gold pendant depicts eagle ready to attack (wings spread and
claw visible)
Doubled-headed serpent sprouting from eagles headthis may be
alluding to the various transformational stages of the Shaman
(religious figure with magical powers)
According to Diquis mythology serpents and crocodiles occupied
a lower world, while humans and birds inhabited the higher one
Gold pendant may have been amulets or indicators of high
status
Worn to evoke fear from opponent
Diquis Timeline
24.
Developed complex hierarchical societies with varied artistic
traditions
Drastic geographical differences in South America--narrow
coastal plain is one of the driest deserts in the world, the Andes
have high grasslands with sloping areas, and eastern slopes of the
Andes descend into the tropical rain forests of the Amazon
basin
The ecological variations impacted the art that developed in
different regions
South America
25. Chavin de Huantar
During 1000 to 200 BCE, the Early Horizon period, Chavin style
art developed and spread
Art style developed at the site of Chavin de Huantar
Innovations in metallurgy, ceramics and textiles
Chavin people believed in an afterlife and that idea is
reflected in their art
26.
Raimondi Stone
Low relief sculpture in diorite
Found in a ceremonial complex
1000-600BCE
Chavin Style art made during Early Horizon period
Figures headdress has snakes emerging and fills the entire
surface
Typifies Chavin art style: frontal, symmetrical, curvilinear
design and combination of human, animal, bird and reptile
parts
Chavin Timeline
27. Early Christian Manuscript vs. Animal Style Hiberno-Saxon
art
Classified by intertwining designs with human and animal
depictions
28.
Mantle with Bird
Impersonators
Paracas textile
200BCE-200CE
Culture flourished from about 1000 BCE to 200 CE, overlapping
Chavin period
Known for textiles that were extensively wrapped around the
bodies of the dead
Textiles were a source of prestige and wealth
Textile production was an important factor in the domestication
of both cotton and llamas
Featured repeating embroidered patterns of warriors, dancers,
and composite creators (bird people)
Paracassouth coast of Peru (1000 BCE-200 CE) Timeline
29.
Earth Drawing of a Hummingbird
Nazca geoglyph
100BCE-700CE
Nazcas dominated the south coast of Peru from about 200 BCE to
600 CE
Best known for colossal earthworks, geoglyphs.
Made on great stretches of desert by removing dark stones and
exposing the light underlying stones
Each geoglyph was maintained by a clan and at certain times
clans would gather and exchange goods and look for marriage
partners
Purpose of geoglyphs is unclear
NazcaSouth Coast of Peru (200 BCE-600 CE) Timeline
30.
North coast of Peru- Moche Valley
From Piura Valley to Huarmey Valley
200 B.C.-600 C.E.
Pyramid of Sun and Moon
Adobe brick
Dominating structures of decentralized social government of
Moche
Performed sacrificial ceremonies
Popular icon of art
Prisoners of war given as sacrifice
Priests would drink blood of the sacrificed
Warrior Priest, Bird Priest and Priestess
Belief of maintaining good favor with the gods
Well-known for their ceramic artwork
Created ceramic molds
Allowing mass production
Moche
31. Moche
Moche Lord with a Feline
Naturalistic models of humans and animals
Portrait of Moche lord
Painted ceramic
Found in Moche Valley, Peru
100-500 C.E.
7 in. tall
Spout and handle in back
Power and status in throne and dress
Wears earspools and headdress
Fine-line, decorative painting
Mythological narratives and ritual scenes
Believed animals to be sacred, anthropomorphic vessels of
soul
Lord strokes jaguar cub or cat
Luxury item buried with its owner in ceremony
32. Comparison of the Human Form Khafre- Giza, Old Kingdom
Kritian Boy- Acropolis Classical Period
33. Moche
Earspool
Common decorative pieces among Moche people
Inserted through holes of the earlobes
Used to stretch earlobes
Worn in pairs
Held in place by thread, connecting the two holes
Depiction of warriors
Held in high regard
Anatomical detail
Elaborate dress- wealth
Nose ornament, holding club and shield
Headdress with crescent shapes
Resemble knives used in sacrifices
Owl head necklace
Gold with turquoise, quartz and shell
5 in. diameter
Found in Sipan, Peru
2 nd -5 thcentury C.E.
Buried with their wearers
34. North America
Sparsely populated
Limited agriculture
Included different cultures
35.
100 B.C.- 550 C.E.
Part of Woodland Period
300 B.C.-1000 C.E.
Traders and mound builders
Mississippi, Illinois, and Ohio cultures traded with other
North and Central American cultures
Traded pipestones and flint-like stones for Floridian shark
teeth and turtle shells
Used cooper from Upper Michigan and mica from Appalachian
Mountains
Burial and ceremonial earthworks
Buried the dead with jewels and goods
Built mounds for shrines, sacred fires and holding homes of
chiefs
Carved pipes with animal representations using naturalistic
observations
Hopewell
36.
Beaver Effigy Platform Pipe
Found in Bedford Mound, Pike County, IL
100-200 C.E.
Length 49/16x 17/8x 2
Pipestone, river pearl, and bone
Used in trade and social groupings
Realism and stylized simplification
Beaver crouching on platform
White, shiny materials spirituality
Pearl eyes= spirit world creature
Leaves placed in bowl of beavers back and lighted, then smoked
from back end
Hopewell
37. Great Serpent Mound
38.
Located in Adams County, Ohio
1070 C.E.
Worlds largest effigy mound
Mounds of clay and rock, covered by soil
Built on meteor site (Permian Period)
Created plateau with cryptoexplosion structure
folded and faulted bedrock
1,254 ft long, 3 ft high
National Historic Landmark- Department of Interior
Constructed among three cultures: Adena, Hopewell, and Fort
Ancient
Undulating, intricate design
Great Serpent- mythological creature of Hopewell people
Embodied power of the Underworld
Contrasted against the falcon or birdman
Often horned or winged
Serpent holding an egg in its mouth
Symbolizes vast eternity
Hopewell
39.
Great Serpent Mound (continued)
Mississippians valued relationship between the universe and
mankind
Surrounding burial sites
1815 first map
1967 Ohio Historical Society opens Serpent Mound Museum
1886 excavated by Frederic Ward Putnam
Head and egg align with summer solstice sunset
1987 Clark and Majorie Hardman
Astronomical influences
1054 creation of Crab Nebula
1066 Halleys Comet
Designed after constellation Draco
Connecting the land and underground to heavens
Honoring significant event
Suggested representation of an eclipse
Purpose remains unidentified
Hopewell Timeline
40.
500-1500 C.E.
Fort Center, Florida Glades
Warlike group dominating Southern Florida
Mainly hunted and fished
Fed off sea mammals, fish and shell fish
No agricultural fields
Dug waterways and canals
Mound temples and shrines
Decorated with posts holding animal head carvings
Simplified, painted carvings
Natural observations
Animal head and masks used in sacrifices and ceremonies
Sometimes of human features
Worn as headdresses by priests
Florida Glades
41.
Pelican Figurehead
1000 C.E.
Key Marco
Decorative, architectural elementpossibly part of a shrine
Wood and paint
Black, white, and gray
43/8x 23/8x 31/8
Once had wings
Found elsewhere later disintegrated
Clan symbols for bird or animal cult
Other animals include: sea turtle, alligator, fish-hawk, owl,
bear, crab, wolf
Florida Glades Timeline
42. Pueblo
43. Pueblo
550-1250 C.E.
Four Corners Region: Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New
Mexico
Developed irrigation system
Known for Pottery
Pueblo Bonito of Chaco Canyon
D-shaped, over 800 rooms in five or four storied apartment
buildings
Also dwelled in community caves of canyons and cliffs
Protection and insulation
Community solidarity and responsibility
44. Pueblo
Art of pottery carried through generations
Still in practice today
Female potters
Low-fired ceramics
Earthenware, black-and-white pigment
14 diameter
1150 C.E.
Designed for seed storage
Narrow mouth helps prevent spillage
Globular shape allows ample room
Holes at top used for hanging
Hung off the ground to prevent seeds from being eaten by
rodents
Dotted square, zigzag pattern
Angular design contrasting round form
Emphasizes curviness
45. Pottery Comparison Death of Sarpedon(Euphronios Krater) Red
Figure Vase- Archaic Period Achilles and Ajax Playing a GameBlack
Figure Vase- Archaic Period
46. More Comparisons Egyptian Vase- New Kingdom floral
garlands, used at funerary feasts, wine jar Maebyeong Bottle-Goryeo
Dynastyholding vinegar, wine, liquids Timeline
47. In Conclusion
South America
Advanced civilizations such as Aztecs, Mayans, Incans
Power and wealth symbolized in their building designs and
massive city complexes
Similar to Mesopotamian Catal Huyuk and Greek
civilizations
Knowledge=power
Mayans developed calendar and system of writing which includes
800 glyphs
Religion
Aztecs maintain good favor with their gods through blood
sacrifices
Priests perform sacrifices atop step pyramids
Pyramid structure
Used in Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Indian art as well
Serving similar religious function
North America
Sparsely populated
Hunting, fishing, gathering plants
Concentrated populations around Missouri and Mississippi
Rivers, Louisiana area
Development of agriculture (squash, sunflower, corn)