Mesoamerica

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Mesoamerica
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Where?

• North of Mexico city, to western Central America

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Society

• Region ranges from tropical rainforests to dry
  mountains
• Reflects different civilizations and cultures
• Linked by trade and similar cultural activities
• Cosmic Ball Game
• Complex Calendar of 260 and 365 day cycles

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Division of History

• Three Periods of Mesoamerican history
• Preclassic (1500-300 BCE)
• Classic (300 BCE -900 CE)
• Postclassic (900-1500 CE)
• Reflect the culture and monuments of the Mayan
  civilization

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Olmecs

• First major Mesoamerican Art Style
• Preclassic Period
• Hard working people
• Cleared farmland, drained fields, and raised
  earth mounds for religious and political reasons
• Showed evidence of cosmic ball

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La Venta, Mexico

• 900-400 BCE
• Earth Mound known as Great Pyramid
• Flat ground around used as playing field
• Built around astronomical observations

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Language

• Olmecs did not have a written language, but used
  art as representation of beliefs
• Religion changed with way of lifeworshipped
  animals when hunting, worshipped rain and sun
  while farming.
• Several rituals to control natural forces

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Colossal Heads

• Ranged from 5-12 feet tall and 5-20 tons
• 12 heads have been found
• Thought to portray rulers
• Many found buried and mutilated

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Teotihuacan

• Olmec societies began to spread throughout
  Mesoamerica, allowing other societies to gain
  importance.
• Classic Period
• Located 30 miles from present day Mexico City
• Emerged in 200 CE as a significant center of
  commerce

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Size and Population

• At its height (350-650 CE), it covered 9 square
  miles
• 200, 000 people made up the population largest
  city in America and one of the largest cities of
  the world at the time
• Many farmersstaple foods were corn and beans

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Pyramids

• City contained two pyramids
• Pyramid of the Sun
• Pyramid of the Moon
• Main street is Avenue of the Dead
• the name given to it by the Spanish because of
  the Aztec's ritual sacrifices of war prisoners

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Pyramid of the Sun

• Largest Pyramid
• 206 feet tall and 720 feet wide at each base
• Not as tall as Giza pyramid in Egypt
• Built over 4 chambers and spring of water
• Aligned with horizon of setting sun and many
  astrological events

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Pyramid of Sun
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Pyramid of Moon

• Smaller than Sun Pyramid
• Little is known about the pyramidmay be a royal
  burying ground or used for rituals.

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Ciudadela

• Ceremonial Center
• Sunken plaza surrounded by temples
• Could hold up to 60,000 people
• Faced the Temple of the Feathered Serpent

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Feathered Serpent

• Quetzalcoatlserpent deity
• Temple was a place of sacrifice to gods and
  burials
• Located at the end of the Avenue of the Dead
  (where sacrifices take place)
• Used for political powerrulers of the city were
  also spiritual rulers

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Temple of the Feathered Serpent