The Olmecs were farmers, traders, artists… innovators. The Olmec culture first emerged in the Isthmus region of Tehuantepec. The site of San Lorenzo, which sits on the Coatzacoalcos River, sheds the most light on this mysterious culture. During this time period, The Initail Formative, food surplus sparked an increase in population and career specialization. With the increase of specialization and sedentism came the environment for complex culture.
The Olmec people were farmers, “using ground-stone tools to clear the rainforest along the rivers by using a slash-and-burn farming technique” (Evans 2004:135). Amongst the crops raised were maize and manioc. Using the above mentioned farming methods, the Olmec people were able to create a food surplus that allowed artisanship and trade.
Many items from neighboring regions were traded by the Olmec. Jade, an extremely sought after stone, “whose blue green color may have been associated with lifeforce” (Evans 2004:131). Obsidian from Otumba, Guadalupe Victoria, and El Chayal were also traded to the Olmec people. Obsidian was used to make knives, pottery and even a “grating device used to process manioc” (Evans 2004:135). Raw materials like basalt and rubber were also traded in the region.
The Olmec artist was a skilled member of society. Amongst the Olmec art forms, sculpture was very important. The Basalt that was imported into San Lorenzo was...
One of the first of these civilizations was the Olmec, who lived around 1500 to 600 BC. They lived in what is now the Mexican State of Tabasco and Veracruz. Scholars believe that this tribe started it all, traditions, beliefs, and lifestyles that were used by the tribes that came after them. The made a calendar, early mathematics, and art including sculptures made of jade.
... A few photos of Tenochtitlan and warriors headdresses, clubs and obsidian blades would increase the pleasure 10 fold. Also in places the author tends to divert to other Ameriindian cultures and use their ritual practices as examples. These comparisons can bring the ritual practices of a 500 year extant culture into modern day belief.
The Olmecs who resided along the Gulf of Mexico about 4000years ago were the earliest group of people to become advanced. They were termed the “mother culture of Mesoamerica.” Their advancements included them being artists, carving large head statues of Basin, engineers, graphic writing and trade. They were the first known major American Indian societies in Mesoamerica.
Although the Aztec civilization is a popular subject studied by the scholars, it tends to be one-dimensional: the elite and religion are the hearts of the study. The work here goes beyond that, as it tries to give us a new perspective on the “ordinary people”. The book studied here is titled Aztecs: An Interpretation, by Inga Clendinnen, first published in 1991. It studies the Aztecs people, also known as Mexicas, living in the empire that was Tenochtitlan, in the valley of Mexico. This work tries to be a reconstruction of the pre- colonial kingdom, before the arrival of the Spaniards in August 1521. Clendinnen successfully highlights how religion and sacrifices are perceived among the common people, and how they forge the lives of the inhabitants of Tenochtitlan. Nevertheless, even if she brings fascinating new elements, her lack of multiple sources puts doubt on the truth and accuracy of her statements.
The Aztec Calendar stone has become one Mexico’s national symbols. After decades of Latin American Art being degraded, underappreciated, forgotten, and abused, it has become one of Mexico’s most national treasures. After years of research from the Codex Mendoza, the Calendar, and documents by the Spanish conquistadors, it has gradually become clear as to how the Aztecs truly lived and how art played such a huge role in their society. It has not only given researchers insight to the Aztec culture and religion and has also given influence to modern and the mainstream media today such as fashion and graphic design.
Examples of some form of ceramics are prevalent in each of the Americas’ cultures. In Mesoamerica, West Mexico and Colima are both well known for the ceramic figures found
When you think of Meso-America, tribes like the Aztec come to mind. But that tribe was still in its development during the reign of the Toltec Empire. From 900 to approximately 1200 C.E. During their rule, they created a platform for today’s current society to develop from. The Toltec’s credibility is often overshadowed by the success of the Aztec; their conquerors. Before they were able to give their knowledge away, they had to build a civilization.
Donnan,CB. (2004). How Portraits Were Made. Moche Portraits from Ancient Peru (pp. 21, 32, 36, 37,38,39). Texas: University of Texas Press
The Olmec was the first expansive Mesoamerican society, laying many of the foundations for succeeding civilizations that followed. In addition to the Olmecs’ impressive socio-cultural advances, artistic advances placed the culture as a strong force in Mesoamerican history. Olmec artworks are considered among some of ancient America's most striking due to their high level of stylization and technical advances. In addition to Olmec artistic advances, the Olmecs did codify and record their gods and religious practices using art and glyphic symbols, embodying the characteristics of a highly developed society. Furthermore, each image created served a cultural purpose, either personally or publically for members of the society.. In Seated Bench Figure, a more personal approach to Olmec art making occurs, showcasing an adult holding an infant created in the were-jaguar style.
The greatness of the society may never be fully comprehended due to a lack of historical evidence, but the small amount of historical documents that remain paint an impressive picture of the Toltecs. Their use of beautiful architecture, great artwork, and the unique configuration of their city leaves many wishing that more was known about the culture of the ancient civilization. Perhaps the Toltec legacy can be found in how highly both the Mayan and Aztec civilizations praised them. Their influence can be found in the grandeur of both the Mayan and the Aztecan societies as both have attributed the advancement of their religion, art, writing, medicine, and metallurgy to the obscure Toltecan civilization. Only time will tell if more will be discovered about the mysterious civilization that is the
Architecture, like many things, can also be made for the use of or inspired by the symbols people believe in. Therefore, art and architecture in Ancient Mesoamerica can be stated to be made for the use of religious symbols. Making architecture and art forms takes effort, dedication, and patience. Architecture can take years to make, as was s...
Gift giving is a concept that not only occurs in the three disciplines but also in our everyday life. The gift economy works when a person gives a gift and then expects the other person to reciprocate the gift giving and do something nice for them. This is significant because the concepts of gift giving and reciprocation is an endless cycle. This cycle of gift giving is seen in the disciplines we study (literature, art, and music). Literal gift giving is the actual giving of a gift in hoping that the receiver will reciprocate the gift. Literal gifts are often seen in in the literature novels, such as Gilgamesh and Beowulf. Metaphoric gifts show the significance and symbolic ways of gift giving. Metaphoric gifts are often seen in art and music
When Spaniards first set foot on Mesoamerican shores in the early sixteenth century, they encountered not the godless mass of natives they believed they found, but a people whose rich spiritual traditions shaped and sustained them for thousands of years. These diverse spiritual practices legitimized nearly every aspect of Mesoamerican daily life, from science and architecture to art and politics (Carmack 295), in many of the same ways Catholicism did in Spain. The collision of these cultures in the Great Encounter and the resulting Spanish colonial state mixed not solely two different peoples—Indian and Spanish—but thousands of variants: elites and slaves, peasant farmers and traders, priests and traders, organized and local spiritual customs, all with different degrees of diversity in their respective religious practices. This diversity set the stage for the syncretic religious traditions that emerged in Mayan society and remain a vital part of that culture today.
The Olmecs are the earliest known Mesoamerican civilization. Around 1200 B.C. the Olmecs originated as a primitive people living and farming on the shores of Mexico (Stanton 91). Soon, however, they began to build cities such as San Lorenzo, La Venta, and Monte Alban. These “cities” were religious centers where people gathered to worship, and were not populated (Stanton 91). The first of these centers, San Lorenzo, was built c. 1150 B.C., on a flat topped, man-made mountain. It was mysteriously abandoned 200 years later (Stanton 92-93). La Venta, built between 1000 and 600 B.C., sat on an island in a swamp (Stanton 93). Later, around 500 B.C., Monte Alban, which was used as a religious center even after the Olmecs faded, was built on an immense mountain (Stanton 93). The cities were made up of temples and plazas, and decorated by monumental stone heads, which weighed up to 50 tons (Stanton 93)! These heads probably represented their early kings and had distinct helmets (Kingfisher 32). It is incredible how the Olmec people transported the stone from the distant mountains to La Venta, near the shore, without the aid of work animals or carts. It appears that the Olmecs did this grueling work for their gods willingly, as there is no evidence of forced labor (Stanton 93). The Olmecs probably worshipped the jaguar, as it appears so often in their artwork. There are also many e...
They later flourished in different regions. They were classified into seven different periods. “The Archaic period ascended from 7000-2000 BCE” (Maya Civilization 1). This period was a hunter-gather period. They were well known for growing several crops. Agriculture was the center of this periods life. The domestication of animals also arose during this period. “ Maize, beans, plants and the domestication of dogs and turkeys were practiced during this time” (Maya Civilization 1). “The Olmec period arose from 1500-200 BCE” (Maya Civilization 1). This period was also known as the “Pre-Classic or Formative Period” (Maya Civilization 1). This civilization moved from location. they settled in the Gulf of Mexico. The Olmecs brought something else to the table. They started building cities of stone and brick. “ Olmec heads strongly suggest highly sophisticated skill in sculpture” ( Maya Civilization