HOA PRE-COLUMBIAN AMERICA

Pre-Columbian

Ancient civilizations of Mexico, Central America and South America are referred to as_______cultures before the arrival of Columbus.

3 most notable Pre-Columbian civilizations:

Aztec (Mexica)

• Maya

• Inca

Tezontle

(a porous stone much favored by the Aztecs)

The Toltecs and the Aztecs

believed in blood sacrifice to keep the cosmos in balance.

They believed that these rituals ensured the sun would rise again and crops would grow

The most important gods were

those representing the sun, moon,

rain and corn.

The Toltecs and the Aztecs also believed

All things, whether animate or inanimate, were imbued with an unseen power like

spirits inhabiting rocks, trees, and other objects (a concept we call animism)

capacocha

Children were sacrificed in an ancient Inca practice known as

capacocha.

The Incas performed child sacrifices during or after important

events, such as the death of the Sapa Inca (emperor) or during a famine.

An Inca sacrifice was given a steady diet of alcohol and coca (cocaine) for a year prior to death.

Aztec architecture

presented a sense of order and symmetry, and its design elements were portrayals of the power of its kingdom Like eagles and serpents

Maya Architecture features

the roof comb, a decorative element at the top.

• highly decorated and painted with reliefs

Cuicuilco Pyramid

Located in Mexico is circular in plan with 4 stages

surmounted by a small temple at the top

Teotihuacan, Mexico

Lining the immense Avenue of the Dead (3 km. long), the unique

group of sacred monuments and places of worship

Temple of Quetzalcoatl

the Feathered Serpent

Pyramid of the Sun, Mexico

is an important 4-stage temple that forms part of the complex at Teotihuacan

Temple of Inscriptions, Palenque, Mexico

was used for ritual functions and the burial place of Pakal the Great, Palenque's most decorated leader

Pakal the Great

Palenque's most decorated leader

Temple of Kukulkan or El Castillo,

has a second underneath pyramid known as the Temple of the Red Jaguar

Temple of Kukulkan

During the Equinox, the shadows from the corner tiers slither down the northern side of the pyramid with the sun's movement to the serpent's head at the base.

This phenomenon is "the symbolic descent of Kukulkan" and believed to be associated with agricultural rituals

Temple of the Warriors,

is one of the most mpressive and important structures at Chichen Itza.

All square columns are carved in bas-relief with Toltec warriors

Temple of the Great Jaguar /Temple of Ah Cacao,

was a funerary temple for King Chocolate.

Great Ball Court,

largest ball court in ancient Mesoamerica (166 by 68 m.)

It has bas-relief of Maya and Toltec players against a richly carved background of plants and serpents

Mitla

was the most important religious center of the Zapotec culture

Palace of the Governors

was raised on a plain platform with a richly decorated upper building, one of the best examples of Puuc architecture.

It has corbelled arch and stone carvings of serpents, lattice work and mask of the god Chac

Tenochtitlan (Old Mexico)

was the center of the Aztec world. The Aztec (also called Mexica) was the last major civilization of mesoamerica.

Spanish conquerors called Tenochtitlan the “Venice of the New World” because it was a man-made island with an intricate network of canals.

Templo Mayor, Tenochtitlan

was the center of the universe according to Aztec beliefs

The Central Andean region

includes Ecuador, Peru, western Bolivia, and northern and central Argentina and Chile.

Temple of the Sun,

was built of adobe bricks with colorful mud plaster murals

Chanchan

the capital of the Chimu Empire had an area of 6 sq miles

Caral, Peru

oldest known civilization of the Americas• monumental earthen platform mounds and sunken circular courts

• stone walls were placed in plant fiber nets that acted as shock

absorbers for earthquakes

Highlands

Walls were cut irregularly in polygonal shapes and finished in cushion-like form

Sacsayhuaman

was a fortress to protect Cuzco, the sacred city of the Incas

Machu Picchu

dramatically sited between 2 mounrains. located at 2,430 meters above sea level

The stones are also known as "dancing stones". During earthquakes, the stones move in the rhythm of the earth's motion instead of rigidly opposing.