Mexico City
The region around Mexico City is extremely rich in archaeological resources, including the massive pyramids of the Sun and Moon, created by the culture known as Teotihuacan. Perhaps the most famous civilization in the Mexico City region, however, is the Aztecs. Known for their military strength, the Aztecs conquer large areas of Mexico, creating a vast empire. Their beautiful capital city, was located where present Mexico City is today.
The Aztecs built large pyramid
temples at the heart of their
ceremonial complex in their capital city. It was here that the
Aztecs offered human sacrifices to nourish their gods. The Aztecs
believed that, in past times, the gods had sacrificed themselves
to create humans. It was the Aztecs' obligation to repay
the gods by constantly nourishing them with human blood. If this
was not done, the Aztecs believed, the world would cease to
exist. The acceptance of this harsh reality is reflected in the
powerful and intimidating style the Aztecs develop in their art,
as seen in the Jaguar Vessel (below), carved in stone and placed in the
sacred precinct of the Aztecs. The hole in the back of this
jaguar (strongest, most powerful cat of the New World) was used to hold
human hearts, once removed from sacrificial victims. This
starkly carved vessel measures 47 inches in length and is located in
the National Museum, Mexico City. To gain a sense of scale, see
the picture below (right), with the Art History teacher.
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Honduras
The ancient site of Copan, located in present-day Honduras, is one of the most spectacular Mayan sites still standing. At the heart of Copan, the Mayan builders placed a large plaza flanked by pyramids Like Tikal (see Tikal travel page), the Mayans included ball courts at Copan. Copan, in many ways similar to use and design of Tikal, was a ceremonial center created for the Mayan elite. The ball court, as in other parts of the Mayan world, was used for both entertainment and for blood sport. The Mayans, whose culture arose before the Aztecs, also believed that it was necessary to sacrifice to the gods (although not on the large scale that the Aztecs later engaged in). One of the most spectacular ways of providing humans sacrifices was by taking the losers of the ballgame, and offering them to the gods in a public display near the central plaza.
This small ceramic
Mayan Ball Player comes from an elite burial site on the Island of
Jaina, located to the west of the Mayan homeland in Guatemala.
Elaborately dressed for the game, this player wears a large deer
headdress and protective gear, as he holds a ball in his right
hand. During the game, players were not allowed to use their
hands to touch the heavy rubber ball.For a closer look at the ballgame, visit:
http://www.ballgame.org
| Maya, Late
Classic Period Jaina Ball Player, Hudson Museum William P. Palmer III Collection University of Maine http://www.newarkmuseum.org/ballgame/ |
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