PRE-COLUMBIAN: Indigenous American culturePRE-COLUMBIAN: Indigenous American culturebefore Europeans landed in the New Worldbefore Europeans landed in the New World

--BY 2000 BC, VILLAGES OF--BY 2000 BC, VILLAGES OF ABOUT 200 PEOPLE IN THEABOUT 200 PEOPLE IN THE VALLEYS AND AROUND THEVALLEYS AND AROUND THE LAKES NEAR MODERNLAKES NEAR MODERN GUATEMALA CITYGUATEMALA CITY

--POTTERY (NO WHEEL)--POTTERY (NO WHEEL)

TLATILCO TLATILCO (“where things(“where thingsare hidden;”are hidden;”village outside village outside modern Mexico modern Mexico City) City)

COLIMA COLIMA

NAYARIT NAYARIT

OLMECSOLMECS “ “Land of Rubber” Land of Rubber”

JADE JADE

OLMECSOLMECS

LA VENTA LA VENTA

OLMECSOLMECS

TEOTIHUACAN: By 200 AD becomes the firstTEOTIHUACAN: By 200 AD becomes the firstlarge metropolitan center in the Americas large metropolitan center in the Americas

PYRAMID OF THE SUN PYRAMID OF THE SUN

TEOTIHUACAN TEOTIHUACAN

TEMPLE OFTEMPLE OF QUETZALCOATL QUETZALCOATL (FEATHERED SERPENT)(FEATHERED SERPENT)

CIUDADELA CIUDADELA (60,000 (60,000 PEOPLE)PEOPLE)

TLALOCAN (Paradise of Tlaloc) TLALOCAN (Paradise of Tlaloc)

MAYA: UAXACTUN (GUATEMALA) MAYA: UAXACTUN (GUATEMALA)

RED STUCCO RED STUCCO

GIANT JAGUARGIANT JAGUAR AND SERPENTAND SERPENT MASKSMASKS

MAYA: COPAN (HONDURAS) MAYA: COPAN (HONDURAS)

MAIN PLAZA MAIN PLAZA BALL COURT BALL COURT

PYRAMIDS PYRAMIDS

MAYA: TIKAL (GUATEMALA) MAYA: TIKAL (GUATEMALA)

STELAE STELAE

STELAE STELAE

MAYA: PALENQUE (MEXICO) MAYA: PALENQUE (MEXICO)

MAYA: PALENQUE (MEXICO) MAYA: PALENQUE (MEXICO)

ROOF COMBROOF COMB (TEMPLE OF (TEMPLE OF THE SUN) THE SUN)

MAYA MAYA

CHICHEN ITZACHICHEN ITZA

Chichen Itza:Chichen Itza:--On Yucatan--On YucatanPeninsula; thePeninsula; thecity covers city covers 6 sq. miles6 sq. miles

--Itza were a--Itza were alater, northernlater, northerngroup of Mayagroup of Maya

--There had --There had previously previously been a sacredbeen a sacredwell here; thewell here; thename meansname means““well at thewell at themouth of themouth of theItza.”Itza.”

TZOLKIN:TZOLKIN: 260 DAY CALENDAR260 DAY CALENDAR (RITUAL CALENDAR)(RITUAL CALENDAR) 52 GROUPS OF 5 DAYS52 GROUPS OF 5 DAYS

HAAB:HAAB: 365 DAY CALENDAR365 DAY CALENDAR (SOLAR CALENDAR) (SOLAR CALENDAR) 1 YEAR = “TUN”1 YEAR = “TUN” 18 MONTHS OF 20 DAYS,18 MONTHS OF 20 DAYS, + 5 “NAMELESS” DAYS + 5 “NAMELESS” DAYS

MAYA: CODEXMAYA: CODEX

BONAMPAKBONAMPAK(“Painted walls”)(“Painted walls”) GILES HEALY GILES HEALY

MAYA: ARCHEOLOGYMAYA: ARCHEOLOGY

TENOCH (CHIEF) TENOCH (CHIEF) TENOCHTITLAN TENOCHTITLAN

(TENOCH’S CITY)(TENOCH’S CITY)

AZTECS AZTECS

PRECOLUMBIAN SOUTHPRECOLUMBIAN SOUTHAMERICA: PERUAMERICA: PERU

PARACASPARACAS

PARACAS CULTURE (c. 300s BC)PARACAS CULTURE (c. 300s BC)

MOCHE CULTUREMOCHE CULTURE

““STIRRUPSTIRRUP SPOUT SPOUT

VESSEL” VESSEL”

NAZCA CULTURE: c.200-600 ADNAZCA CULTURE: c.200-600 AD

NAZCA: Southwest Peru, NAZCA: Southwest Peru, slightly inland from ocean slightly inland from ocean

NAZCA CULTURENAZCA CULTURE

NAZCA LINES:NAZCA LINES:A series of figuresA series of figures(mostly animals) and(mostly animals) andabstract markingsabstract markingsdrawn into the desert drawn into the desert floor, some almostfloor, some almost2000 years old. Of2000 years old. Ofimmense size—some immense size—some of the figures are wellof the figures are wellover 300 yards acrossover 300 yards acrossand some of theand some of theabstract designs areabstract designs areover a mile and a halfover a mile and a halflong.long.

““GEOGLYPHS” GEOGLYPHS”

NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES

WALKING/DANCING:WALKING/DANCING:--sacred pathways, --sacred pathways, perhaps representingperhaps representing deities or mythologicaldeities or mythological beings?beings?--paths for, or --paths for, or choreographies of, choreographies of, sacred dances or sacred dances or cult rituals? Perhaps cult rituals? Perhaps involving shamanisminvolving shamanism or the use of or the use of hallucinogenic plants?hallucinogenic plants?

NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES

WATER:WATER: --intended to invoke --intended to invoke water/rain, perhaps in water/rain, perhaps in conjunction with rituals?conjunction with rituals? --some of the lines seem --some of the lines seem to follow the path of to follow the path of underground streams—underground streams— were the lines meant to were the lines meant to mark underground mark underground water sources?water sources?

NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES

ASTRONOMY AND ASTROLOGYASTRONOMY AND ASTROLOGY

NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES

LibraLibra The CondorThe Condor

ASTRONOMY AND ASTROLOGYASTRONOMY AND ASTROLOGY

NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES NAZCA CULTURE: NAZCA LINES

ASTRONOMY AND ASTROLOGYASTRONOMY AND ASTROLOGY

Hummingbird: aligned to summer solstice; Hummingbird: aligned to summer solstice; sun rises directly through itsun rises directly through it

THE INCA THE INCA

MACHU PICCHUMACHU PICCHU

GOLD: SWEAT OF THEGOLD: SWEAT OF THESUNSUN

SILVER: TEARS OF THE SILVER: TEARS OF THE MOONMOON

TRAPEZOID TRAPEZOID

RECTANGULAR RECTANGULAR BUILDING PLANS BUILDING PLANS

Blocks withBlocks with irregular irregular shapes, but shapes, but which fit which fit together together perfectly perfectly

No mortar No mortar

Unadorned; plain, flat-faced blocksUnadorned; plain, flat-faced blocks

HIRAM BINGHAMHIRAM BINGHAM

MACHU PICCHU:MACHU PICCHU:JULY 24, 1911JULY 24, 1911