Latin America - Pre-conquest indigenous cultures (1)
Part I-Mesoamerica
The Writing System of different Indigenous Groups in Mesoamerica
Common Numbering System Among all groups in Mesoamerica (The bar and dots system)
The Aztec Empire
The Aztec people dominated the majority of Mesoamerica from the 14th to 16th centuries. They spoke the Nahuatl language, and the word Aztec means "people from Aztlan" in their language. Aztlan is a mythological place for the Aztecs and later adopted as the word to define the Mexica people. Cultural traits particular to the Aztecs of Tenochtitlan was the veneration of the Mexica patron God Huitzilopochtli, the construction of twin pyramid.
*The Toltec
The Toltec culture was seen to be the intellectual and culture predecessors to the Aztec cultures. The Aztec oral and pictographic tradition also described the history of the Toltec empire giving lists of rulers and their exploits.
The Totonac people were a group of indigenous people living in the eastern coastal and mountainous areas of Mexico before the arrival of the Spanish. Today, they live among the states of Veracruz, Puebla and Hidalgo, and further maintained quarters in Teotihuacan. The people were famous for their agricultural productions, including vanilla, papayas, and avacados. They were also expert weavers and embroiderers. They dress elegantly and braided their hair with feathers.
Totonac sculpture. Nopiloa, Veracruz, Mexico. Polychrome terra cotta, 550 to 950 CE
Ancient Totonac People
The Papantla Flyers perform a unique religious ceremony of the Totonac culture. Dating back thousands of years, this ritual is still performed for the joy of the tourists and to keep the tradition alive.
The Zapotec Civilization
The Zapotic region map
The Zapotec symbols
The Zapotec was the dominate power in southern Mesoamerica. The civilization flourished in the Valley of Oaxaca of southern Mesoamerica. Their economy was based on the collection of tributes from surrounding group due to the lacking of a strong agricultural base. Archaeological evidence dates back the culture at least 2500 years ago. The legacies of the Zapotecs were found in the ancient city of Monte Alban in the form of buildings, ball courts, tombs and grave goods including finely worked gold jewellery.
Monte Alban, Oaxaca
Zapotec people making gold
Zapotec Funerary Urns
The Mixtec People
Map showing the historic Mixtec area. Pre-Classic archeological sites are marked with a triangle, Classic sites with a round dot and Post-classic sites with a square
The Mixtec were indigenous people from Mesoamerican whom inhibited the Mexican State of Oaxaca, Guerrero and Puebla. The term Mixtec means "cloud people" from the Nahuatl language. The Mixtec were one of the major civilizations of Mesoamerica and was responsible for many of the major constructions in the ancient city Monte Alban. Monte Alban was originally a Zapotec city, however, the Mixtec later gained control of it. The stone, wood and metal works produced by the Mixtec artisans are well regarded throughout ancient Mesoamerica.
Mixtec Calender system. The Mixtec used a 260-day calender. A day is a combination of a number a day sign. The coefficient ranges from 1 to 13, while the day sign is any of the following 20 symbols above:
Turquoise mosaic mask. Mixtec-Aztec, 1400-1521 CE
The Olmec Culture
Olmec influences in the archaeological record
The Olmec heartland where the Olmec reigned from 1400 - 400 BCE.
The Olmec was thought to be the first major civilization in Mexico. They reside in the southern central Mexico area, around the tropical lowlands. The Olmec flourished during roughly the early 1500 BCE to about 400 BCE, also know as Mesoamerica's Formative period. They were the first Mesoamerican civilization and therefore laid many of the foundations for the civilization followed. They were famous for their artwork, particularly the aptly named "colossal heads". The artworks by the Olmec were considered most striking among the ancient American cultures.
The Maya was considered the only civilization in pre-Columbian Americas to have fully a developed writing system. Its art, architecture and mathematical and astronomical systems were also famous among the other civilizations. The Maya civilization was flourishing during the Pre-Classic Period (2000BC to AD 250). Many city continued to expand throughout the Post-Classic period until the arrival of the Spanish. External trade and cultural exchange influenced many of the Maya's art works and architectures. Today, many Maya descendants still live around Maya area and maintained a set of Maya traditions. The Maya language is still spoken by millions of people today.
The ruins of Palenque, an ancient Maya city
Maya script on a Kankuen panel depicting King T'ah 'Ak' Cha'an (Dah 'Ag Txhaun)
A stucco relief from Palenque depicting Upakal K'inich
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