Mesoamerican Art and Architecture: Exam II Review

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering the major artworks, monuments, dates, and cultures from Teotihuacan, Maya, Toltec, and Aztec civilizations for Exam II review.

Pyramid of the Sun

A monumental pyramid constructed by the Teotihuacanos in Teotihuacan, Mexico, dating to c. 225 CE.

Patio of the Palace of Quetzalpapalotl

An elite courtyard featuring intricately carved stone pillars, situated at Teotihuacan.

Tepantitla patio mural

A reconstructed wall painting created by the Teotihuacanos at the Tepantitla compound in Teotihuacan.

Teotihuacan mosaic mask

A Teotihuacan greenstone mask inlaid with shell, obsidian, and malachite mosaic.

Chalchiuhtlicue

A monumental stone sculpture of a water deity (or Chalchiuhtlicue) from Teotihuacan, found at the Pyramid of the Moon.

Huehuetéotl

A stone sculpture of the old fire god from Teotihuacan, dating to the Classic period (200–650 CE), held at the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City.

Pinturas Sub IA north wall murals

Early Maya mural paintings located at San Bartolo, dating to c. 100 BCE (?).

The Temple of Masks, Uaxactun

An early Maya stepped architectural structure adorned with large stucco masks, dating to 0–200 CE.

Temple I, Tikal

A towering Maya temple pyramid built in Tikal, Guatemala, spanning the 4th century BCE to the 5th century CE.

Flint depicting a crocodile canoe with passengers

A Maya carved eccentric flint dating to 600–900 CE, measuring $9\frac{3}{4} \times 16\frac{1}{4} \times \frac{3}{4}\text{ in}$, preserved in the Dallas Museum of Art, Texas.

The Palenque Palace

A central administrative and residential complex constructed by the Maya at Palenque between 432 and 700 CE.

Temple of Inscriptions

A Maya funerary pyramid constructed in Palenque, Chiapas, for the ruler K'inich Janaab Pakal I (reigned 615–683 CE).

Sarcophagus lid, tomb of Lord Pakal

A carved limestone relief lid from the burial chamber of Lord Pakal (Shield 2) within the Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque, Mexico, dating to c. 680 CE.

Jade mosaic mask of Lord Pakal

A Maya funerary mask made of jade mosaic, recovered from Pakal's funerary crypt at Palenque, dating to 683 CE.

Shield Jaguar and Lady Xoc

A Maya carved limestone relief lintel dating to c. 725 CE, measuring $43 \times 30\text{ in}$, housed in the British Museum in London, England.

Lintel 25, Structure 23

A Maya carved stone lintel depicting a bloodletting vision from Structure 23 at Yaxchilán, located in The British Museum.

Bonampak mural, Room 2

An 8th-century Maya fresco cycle depicting court ceremonies, warfare, and sacrifice, known through modern copies.

House of the Magicians

A major Maya pyramid in Uxmal built in the Puuc (Puuk) architectural style, dating to c. 700–1000 CE.

Nunnery Quadrangle, Uxmal

A Maya Puuc-style courtyard grouping of four long, elaborately decorated palaces at the site of Uxmal.

North building of Nunnery Quadrangle, Uxmal

The elevated structure of the Nunnery Quadrangle in Uxmal, featuring facades covered in stacked Chaac masks and geometric stone latticework.

Pyramid B, Tula

A Toltec stepped pyramid platform at Tula dating to the 10th century CE, historically supporting warrior atlantids.

Coatlepantli

A Toltec 'serpent wall' relief featuring low-relief carvings of skeletal figures and devouring serpents, located at Tula, dating to the 10th century CE.

Chacmool (Tula)

A Toltec reclining stone sculpture supporting an offering receptacle or plate on its midriff, dating to the 10th century CE.

El Caracol, Chichen Itza

A distinctive round astronomical observatory tower built by the Maya at Chichen Itza.

Temple of Kukulcan (El Castillo)

A radial step-pyramid temple dedicated to the feathered serpent deity Kukulcan at Chichen Itza, dating from the 9th to 12th centuries CE.

Great Ball Court Relief (East Central, Right 3)

A carved Maya stone relief located along the walls of the Great Ball Court at Chichen Itza.

Frontispiece of the Codex Mendoza

An Aztec (Mexica) pictorial manuscript frontispiece dating to c. 1541–1542, commissioned by Antonio Mendoza to illustrate the founding of Tenochtitlan.

The Dismemberment of Coyolxauhqui, Goddess of the Moon

A late Postclassic Mexica (Aztec) circular stone relief measuring $9'\,10\frac{1}{8}\text{ in}$ in diameter, housed in the Museo del Templo Mayor in Mexico City.

The Mother Goddess, Coatlicue

A monumental Mexica (Aztec) andesite statue standing $11'\,6\text{ in}$ high, dating to c. 1487–1520, preserved in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.

Calendar stone (Sun Stone)

A Mexica (Aztec) late Postclassic basalt disc measuring $12'$ in diameter, located in the National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City, Mexico.

Monolith of Tlaltecuhtli

A large Aztec (Mexica) stone relief carving of the earth lord/lady Tlaltecuhtli, dating to 1502.

Tlazolteotl giving birth to the maize god

An Aztec (Mexica) granite sculpture dating to c. 1500, measuring $8 \times 4\frac{3}{4} \times 5\frac{7}{8}\text{ in}$, held in the Dumbarton Oaks Museum in Washington, D.C.

Mosaic skull of Tezcatlipoca

A human skull decorated with turquoise and lignite mosaic, attributed to the Mexica (Aztec) or Mixtec, dating to c. the 15th–16th century.