The document provides descriptions of important archaeological sites and artifacts from ancient Mesoamerican and North American civilizations including the Olmec Great Pyramid in Mexico, the Temple of the Feathered Serpent at Teotihuacan, the Palace and Temple of Inscriptions at Palenque, the Pyramid of Kukulkan at Chichen Itza, geoglyphs at Nazca, Moche portraits, Cahokia Mounds, Anasazi sites like Pueblo Bonito and Mesa Verde, and Mimbres pottery.
Artist: n/a Title: Olmec Great Pyramid and ball court Medium: n/a Size: Pyramid height approx. 100' (30 m) Date: Olmec culture, c. 1000–600 BCE Source/Museum: La Venta, Mexico
Artist: n/a Title: Colossal head Medium: Basalt Size: height 7'5" (2.26 m) Date: Olmec culture, c. 900–400 BCE Source/Museum: La Venta, Mexico
Artist: n/a Title: Ceremonial center of the city of Teotihuacan Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: Teotihuacan culture, 350–650 CE Source/Museum: Mexico
Artist: n/a Title: Plan of the ceremonial center of Teotihuacan Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: n/a Source/Museum: Positioned to match photograph of the site shown in figure 12–4, with south at top
Artist: n/a Title: Temple of the Feathered Serpent Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: Teotihuacan culture, after 350 CE Source/Museum: The Ciudadela, Teotihuacan, Mexico
Ritual Sacrifices - Many from other areas/indigenous cultures
Obsidian w/ spear flakes
Artist: n/a Title: Bloodletting Ritual Medium: Fragment of a fresco Pigment on lime plaster Size: 32¼ X 45¼" (82 X 116.1 cm) Date: Teotihuacan culture, 600–750 CE Source/Museum: From Teotihuacan, Mexico. / The Cleveland Museum of Art. Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund (63.252)
Whitewash
Artist: n/a Title: Base of North Acropolis (left) and Temple I, Tikal Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: Maya culture. North Acropolis, 5th century CE; Temple I, c. 700 CE Source/Museum: Tomb of Ruler A, Tikal, Guatemala
Artist: n/a Title: Palace (Foreground) and temple of The Inscriptions (tomb-Pyramid of Lord Pakal), Palenque Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: Maya culture, late 7th century CE Source/Museum: Mexico
Artist: n/a Title: Portrait of Lord Pakal Medium: Stucco and red paint Size: height 16 ⅞ " (43 cm) Date: Maya culture, mid-7th century CE Source/Museum: Found in his tomb, Temple of the Inscriptions, Palenque, Mexico. / Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City
Artist: n/a Title: Lady Xok’s Vision of a Giant Snake (accession ceremony) Medium: Limestone Size: 46½ X 29 ⅛ " (118 X 74 cm) Date: Dedicated in 723 CE and 726 CE Source/Museum: Lintel 25 of a temple (structure 23). Yaxchilan, Chiapas, Mexico. / British Museum. Acquired by the British Museum in 1883
Artist: n/a Title: Cylindrical vessel Medium: Painted ceramic Size: diameter 6½" (16.6 cm) height 8 ⅜ " (21.5 cm) Date: Maya culture, 600–900 CE Source/Museum: (Composite photograph in the form of a roll-out.) The Art Museum, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
Artist: n/a Title: Pyramid (“el Castillo”) with Chacmool in foreground, Chichen Itza Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: Itza (northern Maya) culture, 9th–13th century CE; Chacmool, 800–1000 CE Source/Museum: Yucatan, Mexico. / Library, Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles. Wim Swaan Photograph Collection (96, p.21)
Artist: n/a Title: Pyramid (“el Castillo”) with Chacmool in foreground, Chichen Itza Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: Itza (northern Maya) culture, 9th–13th century CE; Chacmool, 800–1000 CE Source/Museum: Yucatan, Mexico. / Library, Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles. Wim Swaan Photograph Collection (96, p.21)
Ball Court
Ball Court
Artist: n/a Title: Diquis Shaman with Drum and Snake Medium: Gold Size: 4¼ X 3¼" (10.8 X 8.2 cm) Date: Diquis culture, c. 13–16th century CE Source/Museum: Costa Rica. / Museos del Banco Central de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
Artist: n/a Title: Paracas Mantle with bird impersonators, detail Medium: Camelid fiber, plain weave with stem-stitch embroidery Size: n/a Date: Paracas culture, c. 200 BCE–200 CE Source/Museum: From the Paracas peninsula, Peru. / Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Denman Waldo Ross Collection (16.34a)
Artist: n/a Title: Mantle with bird impersonators Medium: Camelid fiber, plain weave with stem-stitch embroidery Size: approx. 40" X 7'11" (1.01 X 2.41 m) Date: Paracas culture, c. 200 BCE–200 CE Source/Museum: Paracas peninsula, Peru. / Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Denman Waldo Ross Collection (16.34a)
Back Strap Loom
Artist: n/a Title: Earth drawing (geoglyph) of a hummingbird, Nazca Plain Medium: n/a Size: Length approx. 450' (137 m) wingspan approx. 220' (60.9 m) Date: Nazca culture, c. 100 BCE–700 CE Source/Museum: Southwest Peru
Artist: n/a Title: Moche Lord with a Feline Medium: Painted ceramic Size: height 7 ½" (19 cm) Date: Moche culture, c. 100 BCE–500 CE Source/Museum: Moche Valley, Peru. / Art Institute of Chicago. Buckingham Fund, 1955–2281
Lord Sipan Moche Culture
Artist: n/a Title: Earspool Medium: Gold, turquoise, quartz, and shell Size: diameter approx. 5" (12.7 cm) Date: Moche culture, 2nd–5th century CE Source/Museum: Sipan, Peru. / Bruning Archaeological Museum, Lambayeque, Peru
Artist: n/a Title: Great Serpent Mound, Ohio Medium: n/a Size: Length approx. 1,254' (328.2 m) Date: c. 1070 CE Source/Museum: Adams County, Ohio
Poverty Point, LA - antique drawing
Artist: William R. Iseminger Title: n/a Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: n/a Source/Museum: Courtesy of Cahokia Mounds Historic site
Artist: n/a Title: Cahokia, East St. Louis, Illinois. Mississippian Culture, C. 900–1500 CE. Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: n/a Source/Museum: n/a
Earth mound, Cahokia
Artist: n/a Title: Anthropomorphs, the Great Gallery, Horseshoe (Barrier) Canyon Medium: n/a Size: Largest figure about 8' (2.44 m) tall Date: Variously dated Source/Museum: Utah
Artist: n/a Title: Hunter’s Mural Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: Fremont People, 800–1300 CE Source/Museum: Nine Mile Canyon, Utah
Artist: n/a Title: Pueblo Bonito Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: 830–1250 CE Source/Museum: Chaco Canyon. New Mexico
Artist: n/a Title: Sun dagger solar marker at equinox Medium: n/a Size: n/a Date: 850–1250 CE Source/Museum: Fajada Butte, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico
Artist: Timothy O’Sullivan Title: Ancient ruins in the Canon De Chelley Medium: Albumen print Size: n/a Date: 1873 Source/Museum: Arizona, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
Mesa Verde
Mimbres Bowl
Mimbres Bowl
Artist: n/a Title: Seed jar, Pueblo Culture Medium: Earthenware and black-and-white pigment Size: diameter 14 ½" (36.9 cm) Date: Pueblo culture, c. 1150 CE Source/Museum: The St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, Missouri
