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Chapter 12: Art of the Americas Before 1300
Art History
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The New World
! Over the years, the original settlement of the Americas has been under debate.
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The New World... Early Peoples
! In any event, between 10,000 and 12,000 years ago, hunters roamed throughout the Americas;
and after the ice had retreated, the peoples of the Western Hemisphere were cut off from the
rest of the world until they were overrun by European invaders in the 15th century CE.
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Mesoamerica
! The civilizations that arose in Mesoamerica varied, but were linked by cultural
similarities and trade.
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Mesoamerica
! The region’s history is divided into 3 broad periods: Formative or
Preclassic (1500 BCE to 250 CE), Classic (250-900 CE), and Postclassic
(900-1521 CE).
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The Olmecs
! The first major Mesoamerican art style, that of the Olmecs,
emerged during the Formative/Preclassic period.
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Great Pyramid & Ball Court, La Venta
! The most prominent feature, an earth mound known as the Great Pyramid,
still rises to a height of about 100 feet.
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Olmec Beliefs…
! Although they had no written language, their art gives us an idea of their beliefs.
! The Olmec universe had three levels: sky, earth surface, & underworld.
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Colossal Head, La Venta 900-400 BCE
! They produced an abundance of monumental basalt sculpture, including
colossal heads, altars, & seated figures.
! Colossal heads ranged from 5 to 12 feet & weighed from 5 to 20 tons.
Teotihuacán (Pronounced tay'-uh-tee'-wah-kahn)
! Located some thirty miles miles northeast of present-day Mexico City,
Teotihuacán experienced a period of rapid growth early in the first
millennium CE.
Pyramid of the Sun & Pyramid of the Moon
! Their principle monuments include the Pyramid of the Sun & Pyramid of the
Moon.
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! Much of the ceremonial center is characterized by the symmetrical arrangement of
structures around open courts or plazas.
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Temple of the Feathered Serpent
! The city’s principal religious and political center, the plaza could accommodate
more than 60,000 people- its focus was the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
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Temple of the Feathered Serpent
! Excavation revealed painted heads of the Feathered Serpent, the goggle-eyed Rain
or Storm God, & reliefs of aquatic shells & snails.
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Other Decoration: Fresco Painting
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The Maya
! The ancient Maya are noted for a number of achievements, including the
production of high agricultural yields in the seemingly inhospitable tropical rain
forest of the Yucatan.
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Tikal
! The monumental buildings of Maya cities were masterly examples of the use of the use of
architecture for public display & propaganda.
! Tikal was the largest Maya city, with a population of 70,000.
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Palace and Temple of the Inscriptions (Tomb-Pyramid of Lord Pakal) 7th
century CE.
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! This stucco Portrait of Lord Pakal was found with his sarcophagus shows
him as a young man wearing a diadem of jade & flowers.
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Lady Xok’s Vision of a Giant Snake
! Elite men & women, rather than gods, were the usual subjects of Maya sculpture, & most show
rulers dressed as warriors performing religious rituals in elaborate costumes & headdresses.
! The Maya favored low-relief carving on steles & buildings, this work being carved from a door
lintel of a temple dedicated to Lady Xok, queen & principal wife to Shield Jaguar the Great.
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Details of Lady Xok’s Vision of a Giant Snake
Cylindrical Vessel with Ballgame Scene
! Artists had high status in Maya society: Vase painters and scribes were sometimes members of
the ruling elite, perhaps even members of the royal family.
! Some of our most vivid impressions of Maya courtly life and painting style come form
cylindrical vessels.
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Central America
! Unlike their neighbors in Mesoamerica, who lived in complex hierarchical
societies, the people of Central America lived in extended family groups
in towns led by chiefs.
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Shaman with Drum & Snake
! A small, exquisite pendant illustrates the style and technique of Diquis goldwork.
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! Gold figures of this kind may have been protective amulets or signs of high status.
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South America: The Central Andes
! Like Mesoamerica, the central Andes of South America saw the development of
complex hierarchical societies with rich & varied artistic traditions.
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Chavin de Huantar
! Chavin art often features images of tropical rainforest animals.
! The relief sculpture shown here was found in a ceremonial complex and
depicts a powerful creature with a humanoid body, clawed hands and feet,
and enormous fangs.
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The Paracas
! Chavin figures can been seen in the textiles of the Paracas culture on the south coast of Peru, as seen in this
Mantle with Bird Impersonators.
! Fine textiles were a source of prestige and wealth, and the production of textiles was an important factor in the
domestication of both plants (cotton) and animals (llamas).
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The Nazca
! They are best known for their colossal earthworks, or geoglyphs.
! By removing dark, oxidized stones, they exposed the light underlying stones, then edged the
resulting lines with more stones.
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Tomb of the Warrior Priest
! The Moche culture dominated the north coast of Peru from 200 BCE to
600 CE.
! A central theme in Moche iconography is the sacrifice ceremony.
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North America
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! Compared with the densely inhabited agricultural regions of Mesoamerica
and South America, most of North America remained sparsely populated.
The Woodland Period
! In burial sites of the Hopewell culture (100 BCE-550 CE) contained jewelry made with copper,
silhouettes cut in sheets of mica from the Appalachian Mountains & carved pipes representing
forest animals & birds.
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The Mississippian Period
! One of the most impressive Mississippian period earthworks is the Great Serpent
Mound in Ohio.
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