The Americas

The Americas developed around 2000 B.C. to 1521 A.D. This time was known for its culture of nobles and commoners, hereditary leadership, divine rights, farming, and sporting events.  During this time there where four dominate cultures: Olmecs, Mayans-Toltecs, Aztecs, and the Incas.  The Olmecs where located in Mexico and was known as the first major civilization and also known as the “people of the rubber country”, Mayas-Toltecs flourished in Central America, the Aztecs were also in Mexico and the Incas were located in Peru.

They had ceremonial centers were the nuclei of Mesoamerica settlement. The temples provide spatial orientation for the town. Pyramids were meant to stand out and represent the gods and powers of the religion. They believed in many gods, they also believed in human Sacrifice

Out of all four cultures I’m going to focus on the Maya-Toltecs. Toltec is a site that is far to the south of the Toltec heartland around Tula, north of Teotihuacán. The reason for the existence of a Toltec city surrounded by Mayan sites is unknown. The central pyramid at Chinchen-Itza, known as El Castillo, it was a sacrifice temple related to the solar calendar. The ceremonial site meaning: ‘Mouth of the well of the Itza”.  Castillo is a four-sided pyramid that is 75’ high.

 A designed object represented on numerous sculptural reliefs and wall painting is a footed raised platform. Nobles or gods are shown kneeling on these low platforms, sometimes sitting on platforms on plantations. An altar is a version in stone of what must have been a common object.

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