World Art: Prehistoric to Inca and Native American Cultures

Flashcards covering key artworks and analyses from the notes, testing location, culture, purpose, materials, and contextual meaning.

Where is Stonehenge located and what does its solstice alignment suggest about its purpose?

Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England; the solstice alignment shows it was designed as a purposeful ceremonial calendar and sacred burial site, not merely decorative.

Who built the Great Serpent Mound and what is its significance in terms of landscape and astronomy?

Fort Ancient culture (possibly Adena or Hopewell); its east-facing serpent head on a high plateau overlooking a river reflects integration with landscape and possible astronomical connections to events like solstices.

Which culture built Cliff Palace and what were its main functions?

Ancestral Puebloan; Mesa Verde, Colorado; built into a cliff alcove using sandstone, mortar, and wooden beams; clusters around circular kivas; served residential, storage, and ceremonial purposes.

What are the defining features of Chavín de Huántar and what is the Lanzón Stela?

Northern Highlands, Peru; Chavín culture; temple with U-shaped platforms, sunken plazas, and maze-like galleries; Lanzón Stela depicts a composite being with human and animal traits, symbolizing fertility and divine authority and used to reinforce priestly power.

Describe the Coyolxauhqui Stone and its placement at the Templo Mayor.

An eleven-foot circular low-relief carving showing Coyolxauhqui decapitated and dismembered; nude with bells, feathers, and a serpent belt; placed at the base of the Templo Mayor to reenact the myth of Huitzilopochtli’s birth and reinforce imperial power through ritual sacrifice.

How does the Coyolxauhqui Stone relate to the Templo Mayor’s twin temples and Mexica cosmology?

The Templo Mayor housed twin temples to Huitzilopochtli (war and sun) and Tlaloc (rain and fertility); the stone reinforces cosmic order and imperial power through ritual, as sacrifices were performed in this sacred precinct.

What does the Feathered Headdress reveal about Mexica wealth, tribute, and ritual use?

Feathers from quetzal birds and gold indicate great wealth and reliance on tribute from conquered peoples; worn by the tlatoani in sacred rituals to symbolize divine authority; after conquest, featherwork continued in a Christian-patched context.

What is the City of Cusco and how does its layout reflect Inka cosmology and governance?

Inka, c. 1440–1540 CE; Andesite; laid out as a symbolic map of Tawantinsuyu (axis mundi) with Qorikancha (Golden House) and Saqsa Waman; ceque lines connected the temple to shrines, reinforcing imperial power and cosmic order.

What is notable about the Maize Cobs from Qorikancha and how were they produced?

Life-sized maize cobs cast in silver-gold alloy using repoussé; part of a larger golden garden at Qorikancha; symbolized agricultural abundance and imperial wealth; looted and melted after the Spanish conquest.

What was Machu Picchu’s function and what architectural features support its significance?

Inka royal estate for Pachacuti Inka Yupanqui; features include terraces and finely interlocked granite masonry with trapezoidal doors and windows, designed to withstand earthquakes; served as a center for residence, ritual, and astral observation.

Which ritual spaces are associated with Machu Picchu and what were they used for?

Observatory aligned with solstices and constellations; Intihuatana, a carved stone used to track the sun and time ceremonies; these spaces reflect astronomy as a core aspect of Inka religious practice.

What does the All-T’oqapu Tunic reveal about Inka authority and textile production?

Worn by the Sapa Inka; covered with t’oqapu motifs representing different groups; produced by acllas; nearly 100 threads per centimeter; dyed with luxury colors like cochineal red; signifies imperial dominion and spiritual power, with textiles sometimes used as offerings to Inti.

What does Cotsiogo’s Hide Painting of the Sun Dance depict and why is it historically significant?

A large elk hide showing the Sun Dance and related scenes of daily life; records sacred ceremonies and buffalo hunts; created to document tradition and appeal to Euro-American tourists, illustrating cultural persistence and adaptation amid restrictions.

What defines the Black-on-Black ceramic vessel by Maria Martínez and Julian Martínez, and how was it produced?

A rounded olla with a polished black slip and matte painted designs; produced by a reduction firing process that smothers flames to create a deep black surface; motifs include rain clouds, bird feathers, and flowing water; revived Pueblo pottery with modern elegance and global appeal.

What is a Transformation Mask and how is it used in Kwakwaka’wakw culture?

A cedar wood mask carved with cords that allow the wearer to open and close the face, revealing another identity; worn during potlatches to enact transformation; painted in formline style and linked to clan identity, ancestry, and social rank; hereditary crests guarded; bans on potlatches historically occurred but the tradition persists.

What is a Bandolier Bag and what does its design say about Lenape artistry and history?

A large cross-body pouch decorated with thousands of glass seed beads and silk ribbons; beadwork on leather with silk ribbons, typical of the Eastern Woodlands; worn by men for ceremonial regalia; produced around 1850 CE; reflects innovation, continuity, and resilience after relocation, often linked to the Prairie Style.