Olmec
The name that the Aztecs gave the Olmec people
"Rubber people"
The Zapotec people are also known as
"Cloud people"
Transformational
Presented in two states at once
Cahuachi
Most important sacred site
Used for harvest festivals, ancestor worship, burials
No archeological evidence of a residential area (people did not live here, they visited)
Moche
The capital city that gave its name to the civilization
Where was importance put in Olmec religion?
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
The Olmec had important mountain sites
What is Monte Alban? Why is it significant?
Capital from 500 BCE - 900 CE
Residential, ritual, economic center of the Zapotec
Also burial site of Zapotec kings
What is the Lanzon Monolith?
Located in the center of labyrinth-like interior of the Old Temple
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
Describe the Nazca mummies
Usually placed in a seated position
Skulls sometimes display deliberate changes (made by humans)
Trophy-heads strung on cords often accompany the mummy
The half-man, half-jaguar Decapitator god: often represented holding a sacrificial knife in one hand and a severed head in the other
At bottom of Huaca de la Luna, 40 male skeletons show evidence of mutilation and thrown from the top of the pyramid
Describe a Stone Head and explain its significance.
Prominent facial details: Eyes, mouth, nose have real depth into the stone
Naturalistic and expressive (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)
Stones likely moved over time (not found in positions the Olmec put them in)
Possible markers of rulership or guardianship
Describe and identify Zapotec pottery.
Pottery made from gray clay
Typically vases and bowls set on tripods
Sometimes has figure/figurines
Describe and identify Chavín pottery.
Usually on the thinner side
Polished red, black, or brown
Often painted with imagery from Chavín religion
Could also be anthropomorphic
Describe and identify Nazca pottery.
Distinctive in form, use of strong colors, bold decorative designs
Thin-walled and took on a variety of shapes
Wide variety of vivid patterns
Naturalistic to highly ornamented to highly abstract designs
Cover the entire vessel making a 3-D effect
Bold colors with black outlines (maroon, purple, blue-gray)
Describe and identify 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
Describe the Ball Game (rules, court, significance, etc).
Just known as the “Ball Game”
Played by all major Mesoamerican civilizations
Most likely invented by the Olmec between 2500 - 100 BCE
Large rectangle of flat earth, later set between two parallel stone walls
Each side had a large stone ring set high into the wall
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
Possible connection to religion/have religious significance
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
What is significant about Chavin du Huantar?
Most important religious site
Significantly placed at the meeting point of two rivers (Andean tradition)
Used for over 5 centuries
Became pilgrimage site in the Andean region
What evidence do we have that shows how Cahuachi was abandoned?
Number of Nazca Lines increased during this time
Mounds systematically covered with earth (shows abandonment was planned and deliberate)
Site continued to receive offerings and burials showed continued sacred importance of the site
Describe the similarities and differences between the Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna.
Similarities: 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)
Differences:
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
Why are the Olmec called Mesoamerica’s “mother culture”?
Influenced many civilizations, both at the same time as theirs and later ones
Ex. sculpture of jade, imagery in art, deities and religion, ceremonial areas, pyramids, rituals, ball game/court, chocolate, etc
What were some similarities between the Olmec and Zapotec cultures?
Ball Game
Transformational artwork
Importance of animals in religion (ex. jaguar)
Chocolate drink
How was the Chavín culture like the Olmec culture?
Both are "mother cultures" (what does that mean and how does it apply to the Chavin?)
What are the Nazca lines and what is their significance?
Stylized drawings of animals, plants, humans, or lines connecting sacred sites or pointing to water sources
Purpose is ultimately unknown
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
How did the Nazca and the Moche adapt to their environment in order to build flourishing societies?
Network of underground aqueducts and cisterns to ensure a good water-supply
Agriculture was done with an extensive system of canals, reservoir, aqueducts