Unit 5: Indigenous Americas, 1000 BCE–1980 CE

Ashlar masonry

carefully cut and grooved stones that support a building without the use of concrete or other kinds of masonry

Bandolier bag

a large heavily beaded pouch with a slit on top worn at the waist with a strap over the shoulders

Chacmool

a Mayan figure that is half-sitting and half-lying on his back

Corbel arch

a vault formed by layers of stone that gradually grow closer together as they rise and eventually meet

Coyolxauhqui

an Aztec moon goddess whose name means “Golden Bells”

Huitzilopochtli

an Aztec god of the sun and war; sometimes represented as an eagle or as a hummingbird

Kiva

a circular room wholly or partly underground used for religious rites

Potlatch

a ceremonial feast among northwest coast American Indians in which a host demonstrates his or her generosity by bestowing gifts

Pueblo

a communal village of flat-roofed structures of many stories that are stacked in terraces; made of stone or adobe

Relief sculpture

a sculpture that projects from a flat background

Repoussé

(French, meaning “to push back”) a type of metal relief sculpture in which the back side of a plate is hammered to form a raised relief on the front

Roof comb

a wall rising from the center ridge of a building to give the appearance of greater height

Teepee

a portable Indian home made of stretched hides placed over wooden poles

Tlaloc

ancient American god who was highly revered; associated with rain, agriculture, and war

T’oqapu

small rectangular shapes in an Inkan garment

Transformation mask

A mask worn in ceremonies by people of the Pacific Northwest, Canada, or Alaska. The chief feature of the mask is its ability to open and close, going from a bird-like exterior to a human-faced interior

Chavín

a civilization in coastal Peru named after its main archaeological site.

Anasazi culture

The \______ was referred to as "ancient ones" or "ancient enemies" in Navajo language.

Anasazi

the name used for ancient puebloans known for their detailed pueblos made of local materials.

Aztec art

It is best known for its abundance of gold jewelry, as well as intricately carved jade and turquoise pieces.

Inkan

\________ architecture is remarkable for constructing cities in extremely challenging locations.

Chavín de Huántar

A religious capital. Temple, 60 meters tall, was adorned with a jaguar sculpture, a symbol of power. Hidden entrance to the temple led to stone corridors.

Lanzón Stone

Served as a cult figure; Center of pilgrimage15 feet tall.900–200 B.C.E. (Peru)Head of snakes and a face of a jaguar.

Nose ornament

Elite men and women wore these as emblems of their ties to the religion and eventually were buried with them. Held in place by the semicircular section at the top. A hammered gold alloy

Yaxchilán

Found in Chiapas, Mexico City set on a high terrace; plaza surrounded by important buildings. Flourished c. 300–800 C.E.

Structure 40, Yaxchilán

Built by ruler Bird Jaguar IV for his son, who dedicated it to him. Roof remains nearly intact, with a large roof comb (ornamented stone tops on roofs).

Lintel 25, Structure 33, Yaxchilán

Roof remains nearly intact, with a large roof comb (ornamented stone tops on roofs). Originally set above the central doorway of Structure 23 as a part of a series of three lintels. Intended to relay a message of the refoundation of the site

Structure 33, Yaxchilán

Restored temple structure. Remains of roof comb with perforations. Three central doorways lead to a large single room. Corbel arch interior.

Mesa Verde cliff dwellings

The top ledge houses supplies in a storage area; cool and dry area out of the way; accessible only by ladder. The pueblo was built into the sides of a cliff, housed about one hundred people. Inhabited for two hundred years; probably abandoned when the water source dried up.

Great Serpent Mound

Many mounds were enlarged and changed over the years, not built in one campaign. Effigy mounds popular in Mississippian culture. Associated with snakes and crop fertility.

Templo Mayor (Main Temple)

Pyramids built one atop the other so that the final form encases all previous pyramids; seven building campaigns. Destruction and reuse of its stones by the Spanish asserted a political and spiritual dominance over the conquered civilization.

Coyolxauhqui

Circular relief sculpture. Once brilliantly painted. So called because of the bells she wears as earrings.

Calendar Stone

Circular shape reflects the cyclic nature of time. Two calendar systems, separate but intertwined. Calendars synced every fifty-two years in a time of danger, when the Aztecs felt a human sacrifice could ensure survival.

Olmec-style mask

Found on the site; actually a much older work executed by the Olmecs. Made of jadeite. Shows that the Aztecs collected and embraced artwork from other cultures. Shows that the Aztecs had a wide-ranging merchant network that traded historical items.

Ruler’s feather headdress

Only known Aztec feather headdress in the world. Headdress possibly part of a collection of artifacts given by Motechuzoma. Made from 400 long green feathers

Maize cobs

Repoussé technique. May have been part of a garden in which full-sized metal sculptures of plants and other items were put in place alongside actual plants in the Qorinkancha garden. It was celebrated by having sculptures fashioned out of sheet metal.

City of Cusco

In the shape of the puma, a royal animal. Modern plaza is in the place where the puma’s belly would be. Head, a fortress; heart, a central square.Historic capital of the Inka Empire.

Qorikancha

Once was an observatory for priests to chart the skies. Placed at the convergence of the four main highways and connected to the four districts of the empire; the temple cemented the symbolic importance of religion

Walls at Saqsa Waman (Sacsayhuaman)

Ashlar masonry. Ramparts contain stones weighing up to seventy tons, brought from a quarry two miles away. Complex outside the city of Cusco, Peru, at the head of the puma-shaped plan of the city.

Machu Picchu

Buildings built of stone with perfectly carved rock rendered in precise shapes and grooved together; thatched roofs. Originally functioned as a royal retreat. The estate of fifteenth-century Inkan rulers.

Observatory in Machu Picchu

Highest point at Machu Picchu. Used to chart the sun’s movements; also known as the Temple of the Sun.

Intihuatana Stone in Machu Picchu

Aligns with the sun at the spring and the autumn equinoxes, when the sun stands directly over the pillar and thus creates no shadow. Inkan ceremonies held in concert with this event.

All-T’oqapu tunic

Wearing such an elaborate garment indicates the status of the individual. May have been worn by an Inkan ruler. Exhibits Inkan preference for abstract designs, standardization of designs, and an expression of unity and order.

Bandolier bag

It was made for men and women; objects of prestige. Functional and beautiful; acted also as a status symbol as part of an ­elaborate garb.

Transformation mask

The mask has a birdlike exterior face; when opened, it reveals a second human face on the interior. The masks were worn by native people of the Pacific. During a ritual performance, the wearer opens and closes the transformation mask using strings.

Hide Painting of the Sun Dance

Depicts traditional aspects of the Plains people’s culture that were nostalgic rather than practical. Worn as a robe over the shoulders of the warrior. Depicts biographical details; personal accomplishments; heroism; battles.

Black-on-black ceramic vessel

By Maria Martínez and Julian Martínez; Contrasting shiny black and matte black finishes. Comes from the thousand-year-old tradition of pottery making in the Southwest.