Week 4 Terms

Altepetl

A Mesoamerican city-state, often ruled by a dynastic elite and centered around a temple complex.

Great Goddess

A major deity in Teotihuacan, associated with fertility, water, and the underworld, often depicted with a spider headdress and flowing vegetation.

Tlaloc

The Aztec rain god, linked to storms, agriculture, and fertility, often depicted with goggle eyes and fangs.

Talud-Tablero

An architectural style used in Teotihuacan, featuring sloping (talud) and vertical (tablero) panels, often decorated with relief carvings.

Olla

A round-bodied ceramic vessel with a wide mouth, used for cooking and storing food in Mesoamerican cultures.

Ceramic Assemblage

A collection of pottery types found together in an archaeological context, used to study cultural practices and trade.

Huipil

A traditional woven tunic worn by indigenous Mesoamerican women, often elaborately decorated with symbolic designs.

Tripod Vessel

A ceramic vessel with three legs, commonly used in ritual and everyday contexts in Mesoamerican cultures.

Tenon Head

A stone sculpture that projects from a wall, often found in ceremonial architecture, such as the Chavín de Huántar jaguar heads.

Goggle Eyes

A distinctive eye shape associated with Tlaloc, seen in Teotihuacan and later Aztec art.

Triple-Drop Sign

A glyphic symbol for water or rain, often used in association with Tlaloc or other water deities.

Speech Scroll

A visual representation of spoken words in Mesoamerican art, often shown as curved lines coming from a figure’s mouth.