After you read the below article, answer the following questions:
1. Identify at least two distinctive trends and materials in art production for each of the following cultures: Olmec, Mayan, and Aztec.
2. In at least six sentences, describe the importance of Teotihuacan as a religious, commercial, and art historical center.
3. Identify at least three features of Mayan art from the Classic Period.
4. What were Mixtec codices used for? What was their basic format?
5. Define logographic.
6. Above is an example of naming and scene conventions in Mixtec codices. Create you own scene using similar naming, placement, and style conventions. Your scene must illustrate what a day in your life looks like. Make sure you come up with a unique name for yourself!
Cultures of Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica was dominated by three cultures in the Pre-Classical (up to 200 CE) to Post-Classical periods (circa 1580 CE): the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec.
Mesoamerica is a region in the Americas that extends from central Mexico to northern Costa Rica. Three cultures dominated the pre-Columbian history of Mesoamerica: the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec civilizations.
Olmec Culture
The Olmec civilization, which flourished from 1200–400 BCE, defines the Pre- Classical period; the Olmecs are generally considered the forerunner of all Mesoamerica cultures including the Maya and Aztecs.
Primarily centered in the modern states of Tabasco and Veracruz in the Gulf of Mexico, the Olmec people are known for creating an abundance of small and extraordinarily detailed jade figurines.
The figurines typically exhibit complex shapes such as human figures, human-animal composites of deities and gods, and animals like cats and birds. Although we don’t know the specific purpose of these jade objects, their presence in some Olmec graves suggests they served a religious purpose in addition to being signs of wealth and goods for trade.
