Development of a lesson on the artistic culture of Mesoamerica. Artistic culture of Mesoamerica
The culture of the indigenous population of America reached its highest level in Mesoamerica - the central part of America, and more precisely in the south of the northern half of the American continent. Mesoamerica is classified as most(2/3) of modern Mexico, as well as the territory of states adjacent to it from the South - Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador, partly Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua. This region is usually called the zone of high civilizations.
Although the settlement of these territories began much later than that to which the cultures of North America belong, climatic conditions turned out to be the most favorable factor for the cultures of Mesoamerica - eternal spring essentially prevails here, and the strip of land, narrowing to the south and washed by two oceans, becomes increasingly the fauna is more fertile, richer and more diverse. The Indians of Mesoamerica have long grown potatoes, tobacco, cotton, cocoa, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Agriculture used irrigation, terraces, raised fields and even floating gardens on rafts - chinampas. With all the diversity of cultures in this region, what they had in common was a social organization - city-states with a clear class structure and the enormous role of priests; religion determined every aspect of life. Hieroglyphic writing arose here early, high level mathematics, astronomy, cartography, medicine, monumental architecture, and art have been achieved. Surprisingly, the inhabitants of this region did not know the potter's wheel and wheeled carts, and did not use pack and draft animals. This speaks of a high degree of autochthony (that is, independence), but also of the isolation of the cultures of Mesoamerica, which was broken only in the 16th century.
Mesoamerican cultures include Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, and crops especially stand out Mayan And Aztecs.
Culture Olmec(from the Aztec olli - rubber tree) appeared on the territory of the modern Mexican state of Tabasco about 4000 years ago, existing almost until the beginning of the Christian era. According to legend, the ancestors of the Olmecs arrived by sea, glorified the “Lord of everything like day and night” and settled in a village called Tamoanchane (“We are looking for our home”). The influence of the Olmecs on other cultures of the vast region is more reliably known. In particular, their inherent jaguar cult can be traced even within the territory South America, where jaguars are not found. The Olmecs believed that they were descended from the relationship of a divine jaguar with a mortal woman.
The cult of the jaguar is predominant in Olmec art. Although the Olmecs knew gold and silver, they especially valued jasper, obsidian, and jade stones, which were not precious, but shimmered in a wide variety of shades on figurines of people and animals. Particularly impressive is the monumental sculpture of the Olmecs - giant stone heads, with a circumference of up to 7 m or more and a height of 2.5 m. Most likely, they played a cult role, framing the ritual territory and necessarily bearing jaguar features on their faces. To the territory devoid of stone, blocks weighing 20-40 tons were delivered by dragging or on rafts. The Olmecs had great knowledge in astronomy and mathematics, invented a number system based on a combination of dots and dashes, they also created the oldest in America hieroglyphic writing.
Pyramids were dedicated to the Jaguar God, including the oldest known today in America. All Olmec architectural structures face the celestial bodies and constellations with their facades, and the heads of jaguars also face the sky. The courts for the sacred ball game were also a symbol of the universe. The most important ritual significance of the game is also evidenced by the fact that the losers were sacrificed. In general, human sacrifice is extremely characteristic of the cultures of Central and South America - shed blood, always of healthy, young people, sometimes even babies, was supposed to give energy to the Sun in the fight against the forces of darkness.
From the Olmecs came, already at the beginning of the Christian chronology (100-650), a culture that bore the name Teotihuacan(literally, the place where the gods touch the earth - this was the name of their cult center). It was there, according to legend, from the highest beginning - Mother and Father of the Winds peace happened. First were born the divine brothers - white, Quetzalcoatlus(“Feathered Serpent”), god of wind and air, patron of knowledge and priests, red and black brothers Tezcatlipoca(“Smoking Mirror”) - the eternally young gods of justice, fate and night, as well as blue Huitzilopochtli(“Hummingbird on the left”) - the god of war, so named because the souls of dead warriors turned into hummingbirds. The constant struggle between these gods was also the source of the birth of other deities, the earth and people. Moreover, the gods sacrificed themselves for the sake of creating light, without which the world they created would have been incomplete - giving their energy to the Sun and Moon. After this, human lives were regularly sacrificed in Teotihuacan.
At the highest level of the social hierarchy of Teotihuacan stood the high priest, possessing unlimited power. Architects, artists, and potters worked under its shade. In the 6th century, the population of Teotihuacan reached 200 thousand. The city was a giant model of the universe, located around a central axis - the Road of Death (“Avenue of the Dead”). At its northern end a 42-meter high PyramidMoon, in the center - Pyramid of the Sun about 70 m high. Its edges gave the impression of a road going to infinity. in the city center there was also Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl. It has six plastered terraces that symbolize a serpent spread out on the ground, and the façade of the temple is decorated with 365 writhing feathered snakes. Quetzalcoatl - the Feathered Serpent became the main deity of many Mesoamerican cultures.
Teotihuacan fell in 650 to neighboring savage tribes. Warlike tribes, however, inherited his culture, building new capital - Tollan(which gave rise to the name of the culture Toltec), which reached a high level in the 9th-12th centuries. The word Toltec subsequently became equivalent to the concepts of artist, builder, sage, warrior of the spirit. In the worldview and way of life of the Toltecs religion And the science harmoniously complemented each other. Along with visible and everyday reality - tonal The Toltecs also recognized the existence of a subtle and mysterious - nagual. The world of phenomena - the Sun, the Earth, plants, animals, people - are just expressions of the nagual. Human contact with highest principle possible based on learning from nature. A person must learn to transform his heart into a luminous, pure sun.
The combination of religious and scientific ideas of the Toltecs in the most visible form was embodied in their art And architecture, the monuments of which were found by those who came to these places in the 14th century. Aztecs, representatives of an even higher culture. Temple Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli(Lord of the Dawn, Morning Star), the Tollan incarnation of Quetzalcoatl, has survived to this day. The temple was built in the form of a 6-story pyramid with bas-reliefs of warriors, feathered serpents and jaguars. The columns of the temple are made in the shape of snakes, whose mouths open on the ground, and their bodies, covered with feathers, go under the arch of the temple. Inside the temple there are four houses for priests and rulers. One of them was lined with gold plates, the second with emeralds, turquoise and jade, the third with shells, and the fourth was decorated with bird feathers. A figure of a lying person carved from basalt has also been preserved. Chak Mool, with knees bent and head facing the Sun. It probably expressed the myth of the Fifth Sun, the result of the struggle between the positive and negative principles (Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl). To strengthen the Sun, blood was required, which was poured into a special hole on the Chak-Mool's shoulder.
Tollan reached its greatest prosperity under the reign of the son of the city’s founder, whose name was Xe Acatl(First Reed) Topiltzin (Prince) Quetzalcoatl (Feathered Serpent). The Toltecs considered him the earthly incarnation of God also because he was tall, fair-faced, fair-haired, with a thick beard. He taught the people agriculture, crafts, temple construction and navigation. After that, he left the world and became a hermit; according to another legend, he threw himself into the fire. In the 13th century The city was destroyed by fire, and the Mayan culture became the leading culture.
Culture Mayan- one of the oldest in Mesoamerica (XXX centuries BC -XVI), and the level reached by it puts it among the greatest cultures Ancient world. The Mayans built their cities in dense jungles, far from water, and in this sense they are a unique civilization. The sudden, simultaneous departure of the Mayans from their cities is also a mystery. Most of cultural history Maya dates back to the pre-Christian era - from 3000 BC. to 317 AD, from 317 to 987 the second period lasts, known as the Old Kingdom, from 987 to the 16th century. - A new kingdom that ended with the arrival of the conquistadors. Possessing an ancient Mayan culture, they came to the lands of modern Guatemala and Honduras from the North, perhaps they have common roots with the Olmecs. The new Mayan territory was a triangle formed by cities Palenque, Copan, Washkatun.
The May city-states had a single development scheme - a temple, ritual core on a hill, then - the palaces of the priests and amelchen nobles (literally having two names, after their father and mother), on the periphery - the huts of the common people. The city-state was ruled by halan-vinik(great man) with unlimited, lifelong and hereditary power. His face was decorated with a complex tattoo, his nose was enlarged with special plates to the shape and size of a bird's beak, and his earlobes were stretched out like turkey eggs. His costume was richly decorated, using complex symbolism, right down to the apron, symbolizing the World Tree. The common people were engaged in agriculture and poultry farming, the Mayans were good builders, erecting beautiful palaces and roads - up to 10 m wide and up to 100 km long, raised above the ground by 0.5-2.5 m, completely straight.
Europeans who met the Mayans in the 16th century noticed not only their good build and beauty, but also the beauty of their clothing and incredible cleanliness. Women dressed less richly, and their rules of behavior were stricter - for example, for a frank glance thrown at a man, a woman’s eyes were smeared with pepper. Was harsh religion which required sacrifices. What was most precious and most pleasing to the eye was sacrificed - flowers and favorite animals, jewelry and incense. Sometimes it was necessary to pierce the tongue, lips, cheeks, genitals, and draw blood. People's lives were sacrificed only in special situations (wars, epidemics, drought). In such cases, the beating heart, which contained the “life-giving power,” was torn out from the “chosen one of the gods” with an obsidian knife. The skin was torn off from the body, which was put on by the chief priest - Chilan; the body was cut into pieces and eaten. The ceremonies were controlled by priests - the “People of the Sun”, led by the “Lord Snake”. In the Mayan religion there was a god of death - Ah Pooch and even the goddess of suicide - Headquarters. There was a god of corn - Yum Kaam, four gods of rain - Chucky, Kukulkan(May Quetzalcoatlus). The main god was Hunab Ku, Creator of everything, and the lord of the heavens and the sun, the founder of the priesthood was his son Itsampa.
Temples were not only religious, but also scientific centers. Having adopted writing, mathematical and astronomical knowledge from the Olmecs, the Mayans added a precise numbering system to them; they were able to write down huge numbers, and long before the Europeans they introduced the concept of zero. With extraordinary accuracy, the Mayans determined the length of the year (365.24 days) and the revolution of the Moon around the Earth (29.53 days), in their ancient observatories they predicted eclipses of the Moon, and calculated the phases of Mars. The Mayan zodiac consisted of thirteen constellations, and the calendar combined a 365-day cycle with a 269-day cycle associated with pregnancy, with a 13-day week. Medical knowledge has reached a high level - the art of massage, surgery - operations to remove tumors and cataracts.
Linked to the calendar and architecture. There were 5, 10, 20 year cycles for construction. Erecting monumental structures from roughly processed stone, the Mayans decorated them with rich relief, and combined the monumentality of the structures with the free space around them, the strictly geometric arrangement of streets, squares and roads. Monuments of the May Day have reached us sculptures And painting, in particular, frescoes of the city of Bonampak (late 13th century), depicting everyday life, wars, and torture.
Three manuscripts have also reached us, which were deciphered only in 1959. They allow us to get acquainted with the religious, philosophical and aesthetic ideas of the Mayans. Also known to science Books of prophecies of the Jaguar priests, as well as a chronicle of the Kaqchikel tribe. Songs and prayers, spells and prophecies have come down to us - in oral transmission. Preserved - in the recording - music Maya, musical instruments, or at least images of them. The Spaniards found the "Dance of the Warriors", which lasted the whole day and attracted up to 800 dancers, the "Dance of the Old Women" on the coals, they also found theatrical performances Maya, admiring the “great grace of the comedians.”
The Mayan culture began to decline even before the conquistadors, in the 12th century, passing the baton to the last of the high civilizations of Mesoamerica - Aztecs. Their name (more precisely - asteki) means "People from Aztlán" (lit. - the place where the herons live). The Aztecs themselves called themselves mexicans, in honor of the leader Meshes(Meshitli), who led them out of their city in the middle of the lake in 1068. Tradition explains the exodus of an entire people by the order of the main god Huitzilopochtli- go to the place where you will meet an eagle sitting on top of a cactus and devouring a snake. It was this image that later appeared on the coat of arms of the Aztecs, and was also preserved on the coat of arms of modern Mexico.
Entering the valley near modern Mexico City, already densely populated, the Aztecs, led by their leader named Tenon managed to gain a foothold there, founding a settlement in 1326 Tenochtlitlan. Having assimilated the culture of the tribes they suppressed, the Aztecs moved on. They expanded the territory for agriculture thanks to the invention of chinampas - rafts with earth poured on them, and connected numerous islands, which gave the conquistadors a reason to call Tenochtitlan the American Venice. The city was connected to the land by three dams, and was supplied with water from the lake via an aqueduct.
Lived in Tenochtitlan in the 15th century. 200 thousand inhabitants, the same as in London. “American Venice,” rich not only in water, but also in greenery, was extremely beautiful. The lake was surrounded by snow-white buildings in the shape of multi-stage pyramids, multi-story palaces were lined with gold, bas-reliefs, sculptures, and painted with frescoes. The city had libraries, schools, a zoological reserve, and baths. The cleanliness of the Aztecs amazed the Spaniards - they washed themselves daily and brushed their teeth after every meal.
The pinnacle of the Aztec architecture there was a temple complex Coatocalli - Home of Various Gods. The highest deity was the creator Ometeotl, hovering high above the world and inaccessible to prayer. Therefore, it was more expedient to turn to those transferred from more ancient cultures Quetzalcoatlus,Tezcatlipoca And Huitzilopochtli, god of rain Tlaloc and his wife Chalchiuhtlicue. There was a place for all of them in the temple, which stood in a spacious square on a hill, reached by 340 steps.
Human sacrifices were regularly performed in Tecochtitlan, and the most grandiose was the “New Fire” ritual, held every 52 years (this, according to the Aztec religion, was the cycle of world renewal associated with disasters and social upheavals). To give strength to the Sun, the victim's heart was thrown into the fire, and a burning torch was brought in its place. The sparkles of this fire were then carried by messengers throughout the country. The Toxcatl festival, dedicated to Tezcatlipoca, was important. To represent this god, one of the creators of the universe, a physically perfect man was selected from among prisoners of war, who spent a year studying rhetoric, the arts, and rules of behavior. In beautiful clothes, he walked around the city, accompanied by a large retinue, he was given four wives, who at the appointed time ascended to the top of the temple and together with him gave themselves to the priests.
War occupied an important place in the life of the Aztecs, in philosophy and religion itself, because it also carried ritual goals - the rejuvenation of the gods, the return of expended strength to them. War was to some extent a mass ritual, and it is no coincidence that for a long time (1450-1519) the “war of the flowers” was practiced - a series of pre-scheduled battles with warriors of the city-states allied with Tenochtitlan. These battles resembled knightly tournaments, with the difference that ritual victims were selected in them. The young man was considered a man only after he brought at least one captive. It was very harsh justice Aztecs. For theft they were executed or turned into a slave, slanderers had their lips and ears cut off, and for an incorrect trial their heads were shaved, which was a great dishonor.
All this does not mean that the life of the Aztecs was entirely subordinated to military actions or preparations. They were skilled artisans and carried out extensive trade - the size and wealth of their markets also delighted the Spaniards. The Aztecs reached a high level of development art, a special kind of which was the art of “deification of things”, which was taught tlamatines - experts on things. In any sculpture, jewelry (made of gold, crystal, jade), literary works, the Aztecs looked for the hidden meaning of things, their connection with the divine. The Tlamatins also knew “ancient words” - examples of morality and rhetoric. Among the tlamatines, the most famous were Ashaya Katzin-Itzcoatl- sixth ruler of Tenochtitlan and MontesumoIIShokoitsin, ruling during the conquest.
The ruler of the Aztecs bore the title Tlacatecutli - Lord of all people, concentrating in the hands of simultaneously religious, political and military power. No one could see him except the closest nobles, he walked on precious fabrics so as not to touch the ground, never wore the same clothes, did not eat from the same dishes. The next level of power was occupied by a dignitary with the title “Snake Woman”, then came the priesthood, which was headed by two supreme tlatoani(speaker). High enough social status had traders. The bulk of the population were masehuali, free community members - artisans and farmers, peasants were outcasts from society - tlamaitli(lit. "hand that has no land") and slaves.
The Aztecs attached an important role to education and upbringing, which simultaneously pursued the goals of forming “face and heart.” In the 16th century, before the conquest, there was not a single illiterate child among the Aztecs and, according to the Spaniards, there was no other people on earth who would pay so much attention to education from early childhood. In a short time, the conquistadors ravaged the Aztec state, and Tenochtitlan was razed to the ground. Later, Mexico City arose in its place.
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Art culture Mesoamerica 10th grade
Pre-Columbian America (before 1492)
Territory of Central and South America Cultural civilizations emerged: Olmec Aztec Maya Incas
The oldest civilization of pre-Columbian America was the Olmec culture. They lived on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in the 2nd-1st millennium BC. The Olmecs had planned cultural centers and step pyramids, stone sculpture, decorative objects - applied arts, hieroglyphic writing, ritual calendar.
Architecture The architecture is poorly preserved. A huge stone head up to 3m high and weighing up to 40t gained worldwide fame. Its purpose is not known, probably cultic in nature.
New civilization The city of Teotihuacan in Central America. Two main temples dedicated to the Sun and Moon have been preserved. S. 54 ab.2
Artistic culture of the Aztecs In the 11th century, conquerors came from the north - the Aztecs, who created their own civilization. The main feature of the art of the Aztec hunting tribes was the worship of the gods.
The main place of worship of the gods were temples. The capital of the Aztecs, Tenochtitlan, or Mexico City, now the capital of Mexico, was striking in its magnificence. The city center was on an island in the middle of the lake.
Aztec sculpture Monumental statues of deities wore abstract and conditional character. The statue of Coatlicue is the goddess of the earth and spring fertility. It is made from corn cobs, jaguar claws and fangs, human skulls and palms, feathers, snakes, eagle paws, etc.
Reading. P. 56 ab 1 below, p. 57 Funeral mask Jewelry
Mayan artistic culture The Mayan tribe invented an accurate solar calendar, determined the length of the year, used the concept of zero, predicted solar and lunar eclipses, and invented hieroglyphic writing.
Architecture. Difference. (p. 58 ab.1) Egyptian pyramids Temple of Aztec Inscriptions
Stadiums are structures with grounds for the iconic ball game. Rules of the game p. 59 ab.1 from below
Artistic culture of the Incas. The Inca Empire is an Indian people living since the 11th century. In the territory of modern Peru. There are legends about the emergence of the Inca Empire (p.61 ab.2)
Sculpture. Relief on the Gate of the Sun at Tiahuanaco
Homework: The art of primitive man The artistic culture of Western Asia Architecture Ancient Egypt Artistic culture of Mesoamerica. REPEAT FOR CHECK WORK
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The geographical region on the American continent, within which a unique civilization flourished in pre-Columbian times, is designated by the term “ Mesoamerica"("middle America"). It was here that the Olmec, Mayan, Aztec, and Incas cultures arose, flourished, and declined. The heyday of these civilizations is the 1st-2nd millennium AD, their level of development is the Bronze Age (although the use of metals begins in the very last period of their existence), which brings them closer to the civilizations of Sumer and Ancient Egypt.
Arriving in Mesoamerica, Europeans found four main cultural centers: the Olmec and Aztec cultures formed and developed in Mexico, Guatemala and Yucatan were inhabited by the Mayans, the Chibcha-Muisca culture existed in Colombia, and the Inca culture existed in Peru. According to scientists, ancient culture, which gave rise to all the others, was Olmec. Therefore, all the peoples of pre-Columbian America are characterized by a number of common features: hieroglyphic writing, illustrated books, calendar, human sacrifice, ritual ball game, belief in life after death, step pyramids. At the same time, the peoples of Mesoamerica did not know the wheel and did not have draft animals (in America there were simply no animals like a horse or a bull that could be domesticated).
Olmec culture
Most early culture In pre-Columbian America, the Olmecs were created, whose territory of residence included a significant part of Mexico, all of Guatemala and all of Belize. The Olmec civilization reached its peak after 1200 BC. For their time, the Olmecs were the most developed people V culturally, therefore, managed to spread their cultural influence over the vast region of Mesoamerica, becoming the mother culture for subsequent cultures of other tribes and peoples. TO cultural achievements The Olmecs should be credited with a well-developed architecture. The city of La Venta was built according to a clear plan and oriented to the cardinal points. In the center of the city, a Great Pyramid with a height of 33 m was erected, which served as a watchtower, since all surroundings were perfectly visible from it. The architectural achievements of the Olmecs include a water supply system made of vertically placed basalt slabs, tightly adjacent to each other.
The Olmecs were excellent stone workers. They achieved perfection in jade carving. Using numerous tools - cutters, drills, grinding devices, as well as appropriate stone processing techniques, craftsmen created beautiful products from basalt, quartz, and diorite. The most famous monuments material culture The Olmecs are giant stone heads made of black basalt, found in San Lorenzo, La Venta and Tres Zapotes. The heads are striking in their size: their height is from 1.5 to 3 m, and they weigh from 5 to 40 tons. Because of their facial features, they are called “Negroid” or “African” type heads. These heads were located at a distance of up to 100 km from the quarries where the basalt was mined.
It still remains a mystery what the giant heads represented. One can only assume that this was an attempt to immortalize the heads of defeated enemies in accordance with the ancient American tradition. In addition, there is a hypothesis that the heads were created in honor of young men who were sacrificed to the gods. The best young man was selected for sacrifice by the priests from among the ball players and became the personification of the god of maize. Among the Olmecs, the game of ball was of a religious and ceremonial nature, and the game was preceded by a complex ritual. The Olmecs believed that the act of self-sacrifice would ensure immortality and all the blessings of life. eternal life. According to scientists, the most beautiful girls the settlements, like the best ball-playing youths who were selected by the priests for sacrifice, went to their deaths with joy and pride.
During the era of the Olmec civilization, the idea of four sides of the universe arose, the symbol of which was the St. Andrew's cross inscribed in a rectangle. There is a legend about four eras and a prediction according to which in the fifth era, along with the discovery of maize, civilization will perish from the old god of fire and earthquake. The symbol of the fifth era was considered to be a god presenting maize to people, on whose shoulders and knees lie the heads of four other gods - the patrons of the previous four eras.
Period VIII to IV centuries. BC. considered the heyday of Olmec culture. In cities there were stone monuments with calendar dates. Rich ritual centers with a clear orientation and layout had complex dedicatory treasures and hiding places, polished stone mirrors, steles and altars. The latter give some idea of the clothing of those times, jewelry and other cultural elements.
Unfortunately, the Olmecs did not create lasting monuments of their culture and therefore our ideas about it are fragmentary and fragmentary. Remain open questions about its origins and development processes.
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Text content of presentation slides: Topic: “Artistic culture of Mesoamerica”
Purpose of the lesson: to introduce students to the artistic culture of Mesoamerica. What is Mesoamerica called? Central America, including Mexico, is usually called Mesoamerica Cultural development peoples of these geographical areas in the period from approximately the 2nd millennium BC. and until the 15th century AD. commonly called the culture of Mesoamerica, or the culture of pre-Columbian America!
Map of Pre-Columbian America
Art culture classical period.
The oldest civilization of pre-Columbian America was the Olmec culture, who lived on the Gulf Coast during II-I millennia BC. research has shown that the Olmecs had well-planned cultural centers and step pyramids, stone sculpture, decorative arts, hieroglyphic writing, and a ritual calendar. Olmec architecture is poorly preserved, as building material earth and crushed stone were used, covered with a thick layer of plaster.
Olmec sculpture, represented by huge stone heads up to 3 m high and weighing up to 40 tons. Their purpose is still not known exactly, but most likely they were of a cult nature. These giant heads, discovered during excavations, still amaze today with their monumentality, mastery of execution, and realistic reproduction of the individual traits of personalities known at that time.
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ppt_y In one of famous sculptures a young man is depicted with a wide and flat, as if flattened nose, thick lips and almond-shaped eyes, slightly covered with heavy eyelids. The height of the sculpture is 2.41 m, weight 25 tons. On the young man’s head is a tight-fitting helmet with headphones decorated with a relief pattern.
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Wrestler (Wrestler) 600-400 BC. 63x40 cm This basalt sculpture of a shaven, bearded man captures him in dynamics, which is almost unique for all sculptures of Mesoamerica. Although scientists are cautious in their guesses about who this figurine depicts, there is an assumption that it is still a ball player
ppt_y Monument 19 from La Venta Depicts a man inside a curved snake; a man is dressed in clothing with the same distinctive marks as the snake; This monument is similar in theme to other Olmec monuments, which depict the emergence of a man from zoomorphic caves or niches
ppt_y Figurine of a seated man dressed as a supernatural beast 1200-600 AD. BC. 29.5 x 21.3 cm The nose and mouth are depicted quite realistically, but the figure has no eyes at all. Instead of them, the motif of flaming eyebrows characteristic of the Olmecs
ppt_y Back to top new era Olmec culture disappeared. What caused its decline is unknown, but it was replaced by new civilizations, and above all the city of Teotihuacan in Central America. In this city, from its heyday, two main temples dedicated to the Sun and Moon have been preserved. They are located at the top of a huge step pyramid. The temples were decorated with colorful paintings and brightly painted statues of gods. The eyes of the sculptures are inlaid with precious stones and mother-of-pearl.
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The most grandiose architectural structure– the pyramid of the Sun, which currently has a height of 64.6 m. Unlike other pyramidal structures that had a stepped shape, the Pyramid of the Sun consists of four large, decreasing truncated pyramids, placed one on top of the other. On one side of the pyramid there is a system of gradually narrowing ramps that led to the sanctuary in the temple. The planes between the terraces of the building were constructed in such a way that spectators located at the foot big stairs, could not see what was happening at its top. The pyramid was built from a huge number of mud bricks and faced with plastered stone slabs.
Most likely the pyramid also served “ sundial”, accurately marking the onset of the equinox. On March 20 and September 22, an amazing sight could be observed here: at exactly noon Sun rays caused a gradual disappearance of the direct shadow on the lower step of the western facade. The transition time from complete shading to illumination took exactly 66.6 seconds. Of course, in order to achieve such a visual effect, one had to have perfect knowledge in the fields of mathematics, astronomy and geodesy.
Several small stepped pyramids were symmetrically located around the Pyramid of the Sun, emphasizing the monumentality of the main building. In architectural decor there are decorations in the form of huge snake heads painted with white paint. On the head of each snake there was a corolla and feathers, symbolizing a particularly revered deity. In the middle of the 9th century. The city was abandoned by its inhabitants and turned into a pile of ruins. The civilizations of the classical period were destroyed by the invasion of peoples from the north, first the Toltecs, and then the Aztecs, who created their own civilization.
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ppt_y Questions:What sculptural works Olmecs are world famous? Name them distinctive features Olmec pyramids. Name the most famous Olmec pyramid.? Aztec artistic culture
ppt_y The main feature of the art of the Aztec hunting tribes was the worship of the gods. Surviving legends and tales tell of numerous campaigns and bloody battles of this warlike people before he created a powerful empire with highly developed culture. The main place of worship of the gods were temples, of which there were more than 40 thousand by the beginning of the Spanish conquest in the 16th century.
The capital of the Aztecs, Tenochtitlan, was especially striking in its splendor. The city center was located on an island in the middle of a picturesque lake, surrounded by buildings on stilts and dams, cut by canals. In case of danger, bridges spanning the canals were raised and the city turned into an impregnable fortress. Alas, Tenochtitlan did not escape a sad fate: at the beginning of the 16th century, the city was conquered and destroyed by the Spanish conquistador conquerors.
We know very little about Aztec architecture, since many structures were destroyed or completely rebuilt. Information about them is preserved only in the descriptions of Spanish eyewitnesses. It is known that in the center of Tenochtitlan there were three palaces of the Aztec rulers and the main temple supreme god war. Two small wooden temples were built on top of the step pyramid.
Aztec sculpture reached a special peak. Monumental statues of deities are abstract and conventional in nature. An example is the huge statue of Coatlicue - the goddess of earth and spring fertility, the mother of the supreme god of war. This statue only vaguely resembles human figure: She has no face, no head, no arms, no legs. It is made from various materials: corn cobs, claws, human skulls, feathers, etc. all this heap is symmetrical and balanced.
Aztec funeral masks had a different character, reflecting the facial features of the buried person. Notable in this regard is the basalt head of the “eagle warrior”, in which the strong-willed face of the young warrior is masterfully conveyed. Small plastic works also attract attention: graceful figurines of a man crouching on hind legs a frightened rabbit, a curled up snake.
The few surviving works of jewelry are amazing in their craftsmanship. Necklaces, pendants, earrings, and breast plates are distinguished by their elegance and precision of modeling.
Questions: 1. Tell us about the features of Aztec sculpture. 2. What is remarkable about Aztec funeral masks? Mayan artistic culture
The Mayan civilization achieved particular success. Long before their conquest by the conquerors, the Mayans invented an accurate solar calendar, determined the length of the year, used the concept of zero in mathematics a thousand years earlier than European civilization, and accurately predicted solar and lunar eclipses, invented a developed hieroglyphic writing. The Mayan art was distinguished by sophistication and perfection. One of the most eloquent evidence of this culture is architecture.
Among the monuments of artistic culture, the best preserved works of architecture have survived to this day. They are striking in their amazing sense of proportions, majestic monumentality, diversity, variety of architectural forms. These are not only pyramids and courtyards, these are astronomical observatories, ball courts, columns, stairs, triumphal arches and steles.
One of the peaks of Mayan architecture is the Palace complex in the city of Palenque. 25 buildings scattered across a rolling plain. The main decorations of the complex are the palace and the step pyramid of the Inscriptions, three temples - the Sun, the Cross and the Foliated Cross.
The palace in Palenque stands on a natural plateau, rising almost 70 m above the plain. Inside the palace there are courtyards surrounded by galleries. Richly decorated with carved and sculptural images and inscriptions, the palace has a four-story square turret, which probably served as astronomical observatory Mayan priests.
ppt_y The Temple of the Inscriptions is a 9-step pyramid rising above the ground to a height of about 24m. A rectangular temple was erected on its upper platform, to which a staircase of 69 steps leads. The walls of the temple are decorated with panels, richly decorated bas-reliefs and relief hieroglyphic inscriptions, thanks to which the temple got its name.
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No less unique are the so-called stadiums, structures for the iconic ball game. They represent two inclined massive walls running parallel to each other. Between them there was a court for playing ball. Participants were not allowed to touch the ball with their hands or feet. The winner was the team that was the first to throw the ball into a round hole made in the stone wall. Fans were located on the tops of two walls, which they climbed using stairs located on the outside.
Mayan fine art also had its own character traits. There was a canon in it, which was determined by the cult of the deified ruler and his ancestors. The Mayan ruler was most often depicted in war scenes or seated on a throne. The main attention of the sculptors was not personality traits, but an accurate and careful reproduction of a magnificent costume, headdress and other attributes of power. His face conveyed indifference and calm majesty. The image of the ruler was accompanied by a short hieroglyphic text containing information about his birth, reign, and military successes. Mayan artistic culture had a huge influence on American culture subsequent eras.
Questions: Name the pinnacle of Mayan architecture. Tell us about the iconic ball game. Was Mayan fine art subject to canons or was it completely free for creativity?? Inca artistic culture
ppt_y One of the most famous South American civilizations was the Inca Empire - Indian people, who lived from the 11th century. in the territory of modern Peru. The Incas entered the history of world art thanks to the beauty and grandeur of their temples. On the coast of Peru, many pyramids have survived to this day. Some pyramids were not square in plan, but round.
One of the most outstanding structures of the Inca period - main Temple of the Sun. According to the descriptions, it was surrounded by a triple wall, which had a circumference of about 380 m. The perfectly hewn stones were tightly fitted to each other without the use of a binding solution. The main wall contained the only entrance leading from the square directly to the sanctuary of the deity. IN central hall In the sanctuary, an image of the sun god was erected in the form of a huge disk decorated with precious stones.
Around the main buildings were the quarters of the priests and temple servants and the world famous “Golden Garden” of the Incas. Its dimensions reached approximately 220 by 100 m, and the garden itself and all its inhabitants - people, birds, lizards, insects - were made life-size from pure gold and silver.
The Incas achieved some success in sculpture. One of the most significant sculptural monuments is the relief on the Gate of the Sun in Tiahuanaco. Pottery works have also survived to this day. Ing craftsmen created gold jewelry, exquisite luxury items, which used fancy graphic patterns on mythological stories about the creation of the world, the struggle of heroes with fantastic monsters, as well as episodes from Everyday life.
Questions for homework. Masterpieces of Aztec artWorld significance of Mayan artistic cultureArtistic achievements of the peoples of pre-Columbian America.The most ancient cities of Mesoamerica.
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When the first Europeans arrived on the American continent, they encountered a civilization that was very different from anything they had previously seen. Locals had no idea about many concepts that had long been firmly rooted in the Old World. The peoples of pre-Columbian America did not use the wheel, make iron tools, or ride horses.
All the more surprising is the fact that the Indians, as the people from Europe called them, managed to build several fairly developed civilizations. They had cities, states, long paved roads between settlements, writing, astronomy, as well as unique artistic artifacts.
The civilizations of pre-Columbian America arose independently of each other in two geographical regions - Mesoamerica and the Andes. Until the Spanish conquest, these areas were the centers of intellectual and cultural life of the continent.
Mesoamerica
This geographic area covers areas of central and southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The first people appeared here in the 12th millennium BC. Cities and states arose in the third millennium BC. From then until the beginning of Spanish colonization, several advanced cultures emerged in Mesoamerica.
The earliest civilization was the Olmecs, who lived on the Gulf Coast. They had a huge influence on the traditions of all subsequent peoples who inhabited this region.
Olmec culture
Most ancient art Pre-Columbian America is represented by very unusual and mysterious artifacts. The most famous monument The Olmec civilization are giant heads made from basalt boulders. Their sizes vary from one and a half meters to 3.4 meters, and they weigh from 25 to 55 tons. Since the Olmecs did not have a written language, the purpose of these heads is unknown. Most scientists are inclined to believe that these are most likely portraits of ancient rulers. This is indicated by the details of the headdresses, as well as the fact that the faces of the sculptures are not similar to each other.
Another direction of Olmec art is jade masks. They were made with great skill. After the disappearance of the Olmec civilization, these masks were discovered by the Aztecs, who collected and stored them as valuable artifacts. In general, the culture of pre-Columbian America was formed under the strong influence of this ancient people. Drawings, figurines and sculptures of the Olmecs are discovered hundreds of kilometers from the territories they once inhabited.
Mayan civilization
Next great culture Mesoamerica emerged around 2000 BC and lasted until the era of European colonialism. This was the Mayan civilization, which left behind a huge number of works visual arts and architectural monuments. The greatest rise of Mayan culture occurred from 200 to 900 AD. During this pre-Columbian era, America experienced the heyday of urban planning.
The Mayan frescoes, bas-reliefs and sculptures are executed with great grace. They convey the proportions quite accurately human body. The Mayans had writing and a calendar, they also created a detailed map of the starry sky and were able to predict the trajectory of the planets.
Mayan art
Color images do not hold up well in humid climates. Therefore, not many Mayan wall paintings have survived to this day. Nevertheless, fragments of such images have been found everywhere in the ancient cities of this people. Surviving fragments indicate that the art of pre-Columbian America was not inferior the best works classical civilizations of the Old World.
The Mayans have reached high skill in the manufacture of ceramics, including painted ones. From clay they sculpted not only dishes, but also figurines depicting gods, rulers, as well as scenes from everyday life. The Mayans made jewelry from precious stones and were engaged in wood carving.
Many sculptures and bas-reliefs have been preserved, which reflect the history of pre-Columbian America of that period. Mayan artists often left images etched into stones. important events public life. Many images contain inscriptions, which greatly helps historians in interpreting the subjects presented on them.
Mayan architecture
The culture of America during the Mayan times experienced its heyday, which could not but be reflected in the architecture. In addition to residential buildings, cities had many specialized buildings. Being keen astronomers, the Mayans built observatories to observe celestial objects. They also had ball courts. They can be considered the predecessors of modern football fields. The balls themselves were made from the sap of the rubber tree.
The Mayans erected temples in the form of a sanctuary on top. Special platforms were also built, reaching four meters in height and intended for public ceremonies and religious rituals.
Teotihuacan
On the territory of modern Mexico there is an abandoned city of ancient Indians with perfectly preserved buildings. Nowhere did the architecture of pre-Columbian America reach such heights (literally and figuratively), as in Teotihuacan. Here is the Pyramid of the Sun - a gigantic structure 64 meters high and with a base of more than 200 meters. Previously, there was a wooden temple on its top.
Nearby is the Pyramid of the Moon. It is the second largest structure in Teotihuacan. It was built later and was dedicated to the great goddess of earth and fertility. In addition to the two large ones, there are several smaller four-tiered stepped structures in the city.
Images in Teotihuacan
Almost all buildings in the city have murals. The background in them is usually red. Other colors are used to depict characters and other details of the drawing. The subjects of the frescoes are mostly symbolic and religious, illustrating the myths of pre-Columbian America, but there are also scenes of everyday activities. There are also images of rulers and fighting warriors. There are many sculptures in Teotihuacan, including those that are elements of the architecture of buildings.
Toltec culture
Little is known today about what pre-Columbian America was like between the end of the Mayan civilization and the rise of the Aztecs. It is believed that the Toltecs lived in Mesoamerica at this time. Modern scientists draw information about them mainly from Aztec legends, in which real facts often intertwined with fiction. But archaeological finds still allow you to obtain some reliable information.
The capital of the Toltecs was the city of Tula, located in what is now Mexico. In its place are the remains of two pyramids, one of which was dedicated to the god Quetzalcoatl (Feathered Serpent). At its top stand four massive figures depicting Toltec warriors.
Aztec culture
When the Spaniards sailed to Central America, they found a powerful empire there. This was the state of the Aztecs. We can judge the culture of this people not only by architectural monuments. Thanks to the Spanish chroniclers, who described the civilization they saw, information about the poetic, musical and theater arts Aztecs.
Aztec poetry
The poetic art of pre-Columbian America apparently had a long tradition. In any case, by the time the Spaniards appeared, the Aztecs already had poetry competitions held under large cluster people. The poems, as a rule, contained metaphors, words and phrases with double meanings. There were several literary genres: lyrical poetry, military ballads, mythological tales, etc.
Fine art and architecture of the Aztecs
The capital of the Aztec Empire was Tenochtitlan. Its development was dominated architectural forms, which were invented by the previous civilizations of pre-Columbian America. In particular, a 50-meter pyramid towered over the city, reminiscent of similar Mayan structures.
Aztec paintings and bas-reliefs depict both scenes from everyday life and a variety of historical and religious events. There are also paintings on them human sacrifices which were held during religious festivals.
One of the most unusual and mysterious artifacts of the Aztecs is the Stone of the Sun - a large round sculpture with a diameter of almost 12 meters. In its center is the sun god, surrounded by symbols of four past eras. A calendar is inscribed around the deity. It is believed that it served as a sacrificial altar. In this artifact, the culture of pre-Columbian America reveals several of its facets at once - astronomical knowledge, cruel rituals, artistic skill merge into a single whole.
Inca culture
The peoples of pre-Columbian America reached a high level of development not only in the central part of the continent. In the south, in the Andes, the unique Inca civilization flourished. These people were geographically separated from Mesoamerican cultures and developed separately.
The Incas achieved great mastery in many forms of art. Their patterns on fabrics, called tokapu, are of great interest. Their purpose was not only to make clothes more elegant. Each of the elements of the pattern was also a symbol denoting a word. Arranged in a certain sequence, they formed phrases and sentences.
Inca music
The musical art of pre-Columbian America has been partially preserved in the Andes, where the descendants of the Incas live, to this day. There are also literary sources times of colonization. From these we know that the Incas used a variety of wind and percussion instruments. Music accompanied religious ceremonies, many songs were associated with the cycle of field work.
Machu Picchu
The Incas also became famous a unique city built high in the mountains. It was discovered in 1911, already abandoned, so its real name is not known. Machu Picchu means "old peak" in the local Indian language. The buildings in the city are made of stone. The blocks fit together so precisely that the skill of the ancient builders surprises even modern specialists.
North American culture
The Indians who lived north of what is now Mexico did not build stone structures such as the Pyramid of the Sun or Machu Picchu. But artistic achievements The peoples of pre-Columbian America who lived in the region and Missouri are also quite interesting. There are many ancient mounds preserved in this region.
In addition to simple mounds in the form of a hill, in the Mississippi River valley there are stepped platforms, as well as mounds, in the outlines of which the figures of various animals can be discerned, in particular a snake and a crocodile.
The influence of art of pre-Columbian America on modern times
Indians are a thing of the past. But the current culture of America bears the imprint of ancient pre-colonial traditions. So, National costumes The indigenous peoples of Chile and Peru are very similar to the clothing of the Incas. In the paintings of Mexican artists we often find stylistic devices, characteristic of Mayan fine art. And in the books of Colombian writers, fantastic events are intricately woven into a realistic plot with the ease familiar to Aztec poetry.
