Unit 5: Indigenous Americas, 1000 BCE-1980 CE

Chavín de Huántar

Chavín de Huántar

Northern highlands, Peru. Chavín. 900-200 BCE. Stone (architectural complex); granite (Lanzón and sculpture); hammered gold alloy (jewelry).

- religious capital

- 60 meters tall w/ jaguar sculpture (symbol of power)

- hidden entrance to temple led to stone corridors

- coordinated w/ adjacent river --> reference to water sources and their importance to society?

Plan and Lanzón Stone (part of Chavín de Huántar)

- inside Old Temple, maze-like system of hallways

- at center, underground, is Lanzon (Spanish for "blade") stone

- fifteen feet tall; blade shaped

- depicts powerful figure part human (body) and part animal (fangs, claws)

- head of snakes and face of jaguar

- eyebrows terminate in snakes

- flat relief; designs in curvilinear pattern

- served as cult figure

- center of pilgrimage; however, few had access to Lanzon Stone

- modern scholars hypothesize that stone acted as oracle

Relief sculpture (part of Chavín de Huántar)

- located on ruins of stairway

- shows jaguars in shallow relief

Nose ornament (Chavín de Huántar)

- worn by both sexes under the nose

- held in place by semi-circular section at top

- two snake heads on either end

- makes wearer into supernatural being during ceremonies

Yaxchilán

Chiapas, Mexico. Maya. 725 CE. Limestone (architectural complex).

- city set on high terrace; plaza surrounded by important buildings

- flourished c. 300-800 CE

Structure 40, Yaxchilán

- built by ruler Bird Jaguar IV, or his son who dedicated it to him

- overlooks main plaza

- three doors leading to central room decorated w/ stucco

- roof remains nearly intact, w/ large roof comb

- corbel arch interior

Lintel 25, Structure 23, Yaxchilán

- lintel originally set above central doorway of Structure 23

- building dedicated to Lady Xoc

- Lady Xoc (bottom right) invoking Vision Serpent to commemorate husband's rise to throne

- holds bowl w/ bloodletting ceremonial items: stinging spin and bloodstained paper

- Vision Serpent has two heads: on w/ warrior emerging from mouth, other w/ Tlaloc

- inscription written as mirror image: extremely unusual in Mayan script; uncertain meaning, maybe indicates she had vision from other side of existence, and she is acting as intercessor/shaman

Structure 33, Yaxchilán

- restored temple structure

- remains of roof comb w/ perforations

- three central doorways lead to large single room

- corbel arch interior

Mesa Verde cliff dwellings

Montezuma County, Colorado. Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi). 450-1300 CE. Sandstone.

- pueblo built into sides of cliff, housed about 250 people

- clans moved together for mutual support and defence

- top-ledge stores all supplies, cool and dry area out of way, accessible only by ladder

- plaza in front of abode structure; kivas face plaza

- each family received one room in dwelling

- farming done on plateau above pueblo, everything had to be imported into structure, including water

Great Serpent Mound

Adams County, southern Ohio. Mississippian (Eastern Woodlands). c. 1070 CE. Earthwork/effigy mound.

- many mounds enlarged and changed over years, not built in one campaign

- effigy mounds popular in Mississippian culture

- influenced by comets? astrological phenomenon? head pointed to summer solstice sunset?

- rattlesnake as symbol in Mississippian iconography; could this play a role in interpreting this mound?

- snakes associated w/ crop fertility

- no burials/tempes associated w/ this mound

- theory: representation of Halley's Comet in 1066

Templo Mayor (Main Temple)

Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City, Mexico). Mexica (Aztec). 1375-1520 CE. Stone (temple); volcanic stone (The Coyolxauhqui Stone); jadeite (Olmec-style mask); basalt (Calendar Stone).

- Tenochtitlan laid out on grid; city seen as center of world

- two temples atop pyramid, each w/ separate staircase

- north: dedicated to Tlaloc

- south: dedicated to Huitzilopochtli

- spring and autumn equinoxes: sun rises between the two

- large braziers put on top where sacred fires burned

- temples begun in 1375; rebuilt six times, destroyed by Spanish in 1520

Coyolxauhqui Stone (part of Templo Mayor )

- "she of the golden bells", because of the bells she wars as earrings

- Aztecs similarly dismembered enemies and threw them down stares of great pyramid to land on disk of Coyolxauhqui, like Coyolxauhqui's fate

- circular relief sculpture

- Coyolxauhqui and her many brothers plotted death of mother, Coatlicue, who became pregnant after tucking a ball of feathers down her bosom; when Coyolxauhqui chopped of Coatlicue's head, child popped out of severed head fully grown, and dismembered Coyolxauhqui, who fell dead at base of shrine

- represents dismembered moon goddess placed at base of twin pyramids of Tenochtitlan

- once brilliantly painted

Calendar Stone (part of Templo Mayor)

- circular shape reflects cyclic nature of time

- place where rituals took place on certain days

- Aztecs felt they needed to feed Sun god human hearts and blood regularly

- tongue in center coming from god's mouth and sacrificial flint knife used to slash open victims

- altar to murder victims, then threw them down steps of temple to base where Coyolxauhqui Stone rests

Olmec-style mask (part of Templo Mayor)

- found on site, actually much older work executed by Olmecs

- Olmec works have characteristics frown on face; pugnacious visage; heavy lidded eyes; headgear suggested

- shows Aztecs collected and embraced artwork from other cultures

Ruler's feather headdress (probably of Motecuhzoma II)

Mexica (Aztec). 1428-1520 CE. Feathers (quetzal and cotinga) and gold.

- 400 long green feathers are tails of sacred quetzal birds; male birds produce only two such feathers each

- 400 symbolizes eternity

- headdress probably part of collection of artifacts given by Motecuhzoma (Montezuma) to Cortez for Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire

Maize cobs

Inka. c. 1440-1533 CE. Sheet metal/repoussé, metal alloys.

- maize principal food source in Andes; celebrated by having sculptures fashioned out of sheet metal

- black maize common in Peru; oxidized silver reflects that

- may have been part of garden in which full-sized metal sculptures of maize plants, and other items, were put in place alongside plants

- may have been used to ensure successful harvest

City of Cusco, plan

Central highlands, Peru. Inka. c. 1440 CE; convent added 1550-1650 CE. Andesite.

- historic capital of Inkan empire

- in shape of puma, a royal animal

- modern plaza is in the place where puma's belly would be

- head of a fortress; heart a central square

Qorikancha: main temple, church, and convent of Santo Domingo (part of City of Cusco)

- remains of Inkan Temple of the Sun form base of Santo Domingo convent built on top

- original exterior walls of Temple decorated in gold to symbolize sunshine

- ashlar masonry

- Qorikancha: golden enclosure, once was most important temple in Inkan world

- once was observatory for priests to chart skies

- interior courtyard said to have been entirely covered in gold

- walls taper upward; examples of Inkan trapezoidal architecture

Walls at Saqsa Waman (part of City Cusco)

- complex outside of Cusco, Peru, at head of puma-shaped plan

- ashlar masonry

- ramparts contain stones weighing up to 70 tons, brought from quarry two miles away

Machu Picchu

Central highlands, Peru. Inka. c. 1450-1540 CE. Granite (architectural complex).

- originally functioned as royal retreat

- estate of 15th century Inkan rulers

- so remote; probably not used for administrative purpose in Inka word

- buildings built of stone w/ perfectly carved rock rendered in precise shapes and grooved together; thatched roofs

- 200 buildings, mostly houses, some temples, palaces, baths, even astronomical observatory; mostly using basic trapezoidal shape

- terrace farming

Observatory (part of Machu Picchu)

- used to chart sun's movements

- ashlar masonry

Intihuatana Stone (part of Machu Picchu)

- "Hitching post of the Sun", aligns w/ sun at spring and autumn equinoxes when sun stands directly over pillar, creating no shadow

- Inkan ceremonies held in concert w/ this event

All-T'oqapu tunic

Inka. 1450-1540 CE. Camelid fiber and cotton.

- rectangular shape; slit in center for head, then tunic folded in half and sides sewn for arms

- composition comprised t'oqapu; individual square may be symbolic of individuals/events/places

- contains large number of t'oqapu

- wearing such an elaborate garment would indicate status

- may have been worn by Inkan ruler

- exhibits Inkan preference for abstract designs, standardization of designs, and expression of unity and order

Bandolier bag

Lenape (Delaware tribe, Eastern Woodlands). c. 1850 CE. Beadwork on leather.

- held at hip level; strap across chest

- constructed of trade cloth: cotton, woo, velvet, or leather

- beadwork not done in Americans before European contact; beads imported from Europe

- meant to be paired with men's ceremonial outfits

- indicated prestige and status

- first used completely for decoration; later had a pouch

- inspired by Europeans' ammo bags

Transformation Mask

Kwakwaka'wakw, Northwest coast of Canada. Late 19th century CE. Wood, paint, and string.

- worn by native people of Pacific Northwest, western Canada, Alaska

- worn over head as part of complete body costume

- during ritual performance, wearer opens and closes transformation mask using strings

- bird exterior opens to reveal human face on interior (w/ birdlike features, ie sharp nose)

- at moment of transformation, performer turns back to audience to conceal action and heighten mystery

Painted Elk Hide

Attributed to Cotsiogo (Cadzi Cody), Eastern Shoshone, Wind River Reservation, Wyoming. c. 1890-1900 CE. Painted elk hide.

- worn as robes over shoulders of warrior; deeds celebrated on hide

- conveyed biographical details; personal accomplishments; heroism; battles

- men painted hides to narrate event

- eventually painted hides for European and American markets

- depicted traditional aspects of Plans people culture that were nostalgia rather than practical: bison hunt w/ bow and arrow --> nomadic hunting gone, bison nearly extinct

- bison considered to be gifts from Creator

- horses in common use around 1750, liberated Plains people

- Sun Dance conducted around bison head: outlawed by US government; viewed as threat to order

- Sun Dance: men dance; others sing, prepare feast, drum , construct lodge

- teepee

- exterior poles reach spirit world or sky

- fire represents heart

- doorway faces east to meet new day

Black-on-black ceramic vessel

Maria Martínez and Julian Martínez, Tewa, Puebloan, San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico. c. mid-20th century CE. Blackware ceramic.

- highly polished surfaces

- contrasts of shiny black and matte black finishes

- comes from 1000 year old tradition of pottery making in Southwest

- at time of production, pueblos in decline; modern life replacing traditional

- work sparked revival in pueblo techniques

- Maria made pots; developed and invented more shapes than traditional pueblos used

- Julian painted pots; uses revival of ancient mythic figures and designs

- exceptional symmetry; walls of even thickness; surfaces free of imperfections