Untitled

A variety of agricultural civilizations flourished in Mexico for approximately two thousand years, ending around the Spanish conquest of the 1520s.
These cultures exhibited mutual influence through trade and conquest.
Shared cultural forms among these civilizations include pyramids, calendars, and significant deities and myths.

The earliest civilization in Mesoamerica was the Olmec, who inhabited the Gulf Coast, particularly near present-day Veracruz.

More influential than the Olmecs were the people who constructed the city of Teotihuacan:
- Located in the Central Valley, about 40 miles north of modern Mexico City.
- Featured major architectural achievements including the Pyramid of the Sun.

Located at one end of the central avenue of Teotihuacan.
- Notable for its sculptural decorations that had a significant influence on later cultures.
- Features alternating relief heads of the storm god with goggle eyes and scaly faces alongside the feathered serpent.

The Maya, whose descendants still inhabit regions of modern Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, developed:
- A complex written language.
- An elaborate calendar system.
- Advanced mathematics.
- Large stone temple complexes.

Home to hundreds of stone temples indicating the great power of Maya priests.
Temple I, built during the classical Maya period (300-900 AD), highlights the architectural achievements of this civilization:
- Stands approximately 200 feet high with a temple at the top used for ceremonies.
- Priests performed dances for worshippers from the high platform of the temple.

Richly carved and painted walls and roofs adorned Maya stone temples.
Example: Lintel 24 from Yaxchilan:
- Features a stone relief depicting Lord Shield Jaguar and his wife, Lady Zoc.
- Lord Shield Jaguar is seen holding a flaming torch, while Lady Zoc performs a blood-letting ritual.
- Clothing is richly patterned, indicating highly developed textile arts.
- The relief includes written symbols that provide context and details, including the date corresponding to October 2009.

The Toltec civilization thrived in Central Mexico between the 9th and 13th centuries:
- Acts as a bridge between the decline of the Maya civilization and the emergence of the Aztecs.
- Known for architectural innovation and massive carved stone figures.
- Features the recumbent figure from Chichen Itza, known as Xakmul, which held sacrificial offerings and reflects similar forms found in Aztec and Maya art.

The Aztecs, also known as the Mexica, emerged as the predominant power in Mexico prior to the Spanish conquest:
- Settled in the early 14th century in the Mexico City area.
Their principal temple was a dual pyramid dedicated to both the storm god and a war god:
- Human sacrifices were performed on prisoners taken during warfare, seen as a necessary act to honor the ancient feathered serpent's sacrifices to ensure the world's continuity.
- Teotihuacan was regarded by the Aztecs as a sacred site of this primordial sacrifice.
Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent, served as the patron of priests who conducted these sacrifices:
- This deity embodies a connection between earth and sky, represented distinctly in Aztec art with a serpent’s mouth adorned by symbols representing storms and knowledge.

Aztec civilization demonstrated significant advancements in arts, poetry, and literature:
- Notable for cleanliness and governance when Spanish first visited their capital, revealing a sophisticated urban society.

Figure 20.32: Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan.
Figure 20.33: Details of the Temple of the Feathered Serpent with its decorative features.
Figure 20.34: Temple I at Tikal, demonstrating its grand architecture.
Figure 20.35: Lintel 24 from Yaxchilan, showcasing Maya artistic mastery and the historical narrative in sculpture.
Figure 20.36: Xakmul, a significant example of Toltec art forms.
Figure 20.37: Feathered Serpent Quetzalcoatl, a crucial Aztec imagery that conveys the duality of creation and destruction inherent in their mythology.