Olmec Civilization
Kunx Axe
Ceremonial axe head
Represents a were-jaguar creature
Used only jade tools and polished with jade abrasive
What is another name for the Zapotec people?
Cloud people
Transformational
Presented in two states at once
Cahuachi
Most important sacred site
What is Moche?
The capital city that gave the civilization its name
What types of places did the Olmec place religious significance on?
Seem to have placed importance on natural places such as the sky, earth, and underworld
Ex. Caves leading to the underworld and mountains connecting all three
Writing on relief stones (first identified written texts in Mexico)
Had an alphabet with semantic and phonetic elements (remains undeciphered)
System of numbers represented by dots and bars and glyphs for the 260-day year
Located in the center of labyrinth-like interior of the Old Temple
4.5 meter (14.7 feet) tall
Shows a supernatural creature with tusks and claws and is decorated with snakes
Points up and down possibly representing its rulership of heaven and the earth
How did the Nazca create the Nazca lines?
Removed the oxidized darker surface rocks from the lighter colored desert floor
Aridity of the desert preserved them well
Which civilization seems to have influenced Moche religion?
Chavin civilization
Describe the Ball Game (rules, court, significance, etc).
Court: Usually part of a city’s sacred precinct (suggests the connection to religion); Large rectangle of flat earth, later set between two parallel stone walls; Each side had a large stone ring set high into the wall
Rules: Exact rules are not known for certain and there were variations across the different civilizations; Main goal was to get the ball through one of the stone rings; Players could not use hands but could use elbows, shoulders, knees, thighs; Teams were all male and composed of two or three players
Describe Zapotec tombs.
Many tombs have vaults and antechambers
Painted walls show wealth of the city
Tombs also show signs of being regularly re-opened (possibly a sign of ancestor worship)
Describe the Old and New Temples.
Old: Dates from 750 BCE; Buildings form a U-Shape; In center, two staircases descend to a circular sunken court; Walls have carved images of transformational creatures; Humans mixed with jaguar fangs/claws
New: Dates from 500 BCE; Extension of the Old Temple; Incorporates 100 stone heads which once protruded from the exterior walls (transformational series showing change from human to jaguar form)
What is the significance of where Cahuachi is built?
Nazca River flows underground in the southern Nazca Valley - this is where Cahuachi was built
Water would survive most droughts and so was considered sacred
What are Moche residences like?
Large residences with courtyards enclosed by walls
Fields around the site are in a grid pattern of plots with small viewing platforms
Could suggest a sort of state supervision
What is an Olmec Stone Head and what is its significance?
Carved in basalt; Display unique facial features; Possibly portraits of actual rulers; Often has protective helmet and jaguar paws hanging over the forehead; Might explain belief that only the head bore the soul
Prominent facial details (eyes, mouth, nose have real depth into the stone); Naturalistic and expressive; Stones likely moved over time (not found in positions the Olmec put them in); Suggested that the Olmec also moved them around; Possible markers of rulership or guardianship
Describe Zapotec pottery.
Pottery made from gray clay
Typically vases and bowls set on tripods
Sometimes has figure/figurines
Whistling Jar: a jar with two chambers used to pour liquid (expelled air from second chamber to create whistling sound)
Describe Chavín pottery.
Usually on the thinner side
Polished red, black, or brown
Most common shape is the stirrup-sprouted bulbous vessel
Often painted with imagery from Chavín religion (could also be anthropomorphic)
Describe Nazca pottery.
Distinctive in form, use of strong colors, bold decorative designs
Method of spiraling a tube of clay around a base to build up a vessel
Thin-walled and took on a variety of shapes
Describe Moche pottery.
Usually made with moulds but was individually and distinctively decorated
Colors included creams, reds, browns
Most famous are the highly realistic portrait stirrup-sprouted pots
Considered to be portraits of real people
Pottery shapes and decorations evolved to be more elaborate
Use of silhouette figures embellished with fine line details
Why are the Olmec called Mesoamerica’s “mother culture”?
Influenced many civilizations, both at the same time as theirs and later ones
Sculpture of jade, imagery in art, deities and religion, ceremonial areas, pyramids, rituals, ball game/court, chocolate, etc
What happened during the decline of the Zapotec civilization? Did they completely disappear?
Unknown as to why the Zapotec civilization declined
No evidence of violent destruction of cities (possible increase of inter-state conflict)
Monte Albán continued significance through later cultures as a sacred site and place of burial
Zapotecs didn’t completely disappear
Created a new site that lasted until the Spanish conquest
How was the Chavín culture like the Olmec culture?
Did leave a lasting artistic impact which influenced later Andean civilizations (like the Olmec in Central America)
What is the significance of the Nazca lines?
Stylized drawings of animals, plants, humans, or lines connecting sacred sites or pointing to water sources
Purpose is ultimately unknown but ideas include: Astronomical maps, indicators of sacred routes, direction finders for travelers, walked paths for religious ceremonies, display of importance of the natural world, pay homage to their gods
Most likely, they were made by different groups (still Nazca people) at different times for different purposes
Describe the similarities and differences between the Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna.
Similar: Both constructed around 450 CE; Originally colored in red, white, yellow, black; Used as the setting to perform rituals and ceremonies; Location of tombs (within the structures)
Huaca del Sol: Larger - has four tiers and is 40 meters (131 feet); Constructed with over 140 million bricks; Ramp gives access to the summit which is a cross-shaped platform
Huaca de la Luna: Smaller - has three tiers and used 50 million bricks; Decorated with friezes showing mythology and rituals