The Americas Mexico, Aztec, Inca, Maya The Great Empires

Human beings first arrived in North and South America during the last ice age, sometime 12,000 years, maybe even as early as 20,000 to 30,000 years ago. Between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago many Paleolithic hunter- gathers crossed over the land bridge to Alaska, and dispersed throughout the Americas. To then be cut back off when the ice retreated until the Europeans invaded the Americas in the beginning of the late 15 th century. In this isolation, the people of the Americas experienced transformation similar to those that followed the end of the Paleolithic era elsewhere. In many areas they developed an agricultural way of life.

Background -Essence rather than appearance (abstract) -Contained true spirit -Interactive -Natural world: nature, weather, cosmos etc. -Invaded by Spanish in the 16th century

Chavin de Huantar -Archeological Site, the Chavin people -Peru BC -“The Early Horizon” ceramics, textiles, and sculpture all show a certain unity -Egalitarian to hereditary based leadership. -Began as a gathering place for people of the region to go and worship -Participate in rituals and consult an oracle -Most major construction was completed in 750 BC -Archeological finds show that upheaval and decline began in 500 BC as many temples and religious sites were abandoned and became agricultural sites or villages instead.

Yaxchilan -Ancient Mayan city, Usumacinta River -Stone lintels and stele -Pre-classical but reached its peak in the Late Classical period, AD -Started with the enthronement of Yopaat B’alam in 359 -Became a large urban trade center due to location on river -All known history comes from hieroglyphs -Important carvings such as lintel 24 which shows a king (Itzamnaaj B’alam) and his wife as she participates in a blood letting ritual, piercing her tongue with a barbed rope -Has a sauna and two ball courts

The Templo Mayor, Tenochtitlan -Capital of the Aztec empire -Two stepped pyramids, represent two sacred mountains -Tonacatepetl, the hill of sustenance, Patron deity Tlaloc, god of rain -Hill of Coatepec, birthplace of the war god Huitzilopochtli -Often expanded to celebrate the current rulers achievements, to honor gods, and just for general grandeur

Templo Mayor; Height: 60m/197ft The gods: Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc; Completed: 1497 Materials: Built of stone and covered with stucco and polychrome paint

Chacmool (also spelled chac-mool) is the term used to refer to a particular form of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican sculpture depicting a reclining figure with its head facing 90 degrees from the front, supporting itself on its elbows and supporting a bowl or a disk upon its stomach.

Offerings at the Templo Mayor Over a hundred ritual caches or deposits containing thousands of objects have been found associated with the Templo Mayor. Some offerings contained items related to water, like coral, shells, crocodile skeletons, and vessels depicting Tlaloc. Other deposits related to warfare and sacrifice, containing items like human skull masks with obsidian blade tongues and noses and sacrificial knives. Many of these offerings contain objects from faraway places—likely places from which the Mexica collected tribute. Some offerings demonstrate the Mexica’s awareness of the historical and cultural traditions in Mesoamerica. For instance, they buried an Olmec mask made of jadeite, as well as others from Teotihuacan (a city northeast of modern- day Mexico City known for its huge monuments and dating roughly from the 1st century until the 7th century C.E.). The Olmec mask was made over a thousand years prior to the Mexica, and its burial in Templo Mayor suggests that the Mexica found it precious and perhaps historically significant.

Aztec Calendar Stone, 1479 video

Quipus, sometimes known as khipus or talking knots

Coyolxauhqui Stone -11 feet in diameter, Depicts Coyolxauhqui, Bells-on-her-face; Naked, disrespected; Shown as a mother -Used to transform temple into Coatepec videovideo

Silver and Gold Maize Cobs -Possibly used in harvest festivals -Full garden/farm filled with corn, flowers, llamas etc.

Feather Headdress -Attributed to Montezuma, known for expanding the empire greatly; Sun god; Increased power by decreasing others status; Emphasis on social standing; Headdress gifted to great warriors; 450 green quetzal, blue cotinga, pink flamingo feathers, gold beads and jade disks videovideo

City of Cusco -Ruled by Pachacutec/Pachacuteq -Capital of the Tawantinsuyu Inca Empire -Ruled South America in 15th and 16th centuries -Built over after Spanish conquest in 16th century -The original structure still exists: rectilinear roads

Qorkikacha -“Golden Enclosure” -Filled with treasure: lined with 700 gold sheets, life sized golden gardens -Dead Incan kings were buried within and brought out everyday -Used for priests to monitor the sky and celestial activities -Extremely good construction -Trapezoidal construction -Temple given to Francisco Pizarro’s brother -Ruins are now used as a convent and temple. Stonework remains -Gifted to Dominicans after death -Dominicans: a religious group, God’s guard dogs

Walls at Sasque Waman -City of Qusqo -Three parallel walls -The largest stone is 28 feet high and 140 metric tons -Cyclopean or Megalithic architecture -The 3 levels of the Andean Religious World 1) Ukju Pacha, the underground stage 2) Kay Pacha, the earth surface stage 3) Hanan Pacha, the sky stage -Three Towers: Moyoc Marca, Paucar Marca, Sacllar Marca

Machu Pichu -Existed before the Incas -Secret ceremonial city -Includes temples, baths, palaces, storage rooms, and 150 houses -Made from 50 ton granite blocks -Intihuatana Stone “hitching post of the sun” - Used to tell the precise date of the 2 equinoxes - Believed to be a portal to the spirit world - If broken, the deities of the site died

All-T’oqapu Tunic -Worn by kings to show power and unity -Woven by sacred female weavers -Checkerboard pattern shows unity -Each square represents a different mantle worn by different ethnicities and towns etc.

de-huantar / tenochtitlan-the-coyolxauhqui-stone-and-an-olmec-style-mask