Readings and Activities
(and grades)
(and grades)
Kerr Number: K638
Comments: War scene. A procession of warriors with naked captive. He will be decapitated, Note the paper garment and the decapitation instrument
https://shesc.asu.edu/centers/teotihuacan-research-laboratory/about
http://www.bu.edu/research/articles/archaeology-teotihuacan-mexico/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/24/liquid-mercury-mexican-pyramid-teotihuacan
Agenda for today:
First 30 minutes, 11 to 11:30
Overview of Teotihuacan, from your readings and the video
11:30-12:15 and 12:30-12:45
Group research on one of four topics
12:45-1:45
Either groups report out to entire class, or,
Jigsaw
Visual reconstruction of the palacio de quetzalpapálotl (palace if the butterflies) in Teotihuacan. #Teotihuacan #architecture #Cultura #archaeology
Topics:
These two go together in interesting ways:
Apartment compounds - where are they located, how are they organized, who lived there, and what can they tell us about the city?
Who ruled Teotihuacan? What are the two hypotheses, and how do the scholars on each side of the debate support their theory?
What kinds of imagery do we see in these two art forms? Are they linked?
Mural paintings at Teotihuacan - what are the most famous ones, where are they, and what do they show us? Interpretations?
Ceramics at Teotihuacan - what are the most famous (or most numerous) kinds of ceramics found at the site? What do they tell us about Teotihuacano life and religion?
Ancient Maya once took enormous pride in their teeth. Long before Europeans were filling their cavities with gold, people in Mesoamerica were flashing grins bedazzled with jade, turquoise, gold, jet or hematite gems. Male or female, rich or poor, it appears many individuals visited the dentist as young adults to have their teeth drilled and filled with jewels, precious stones, or minerals. The inlays would have lasted a lifetime and likely had spiritual meaning. But dental bling at this time may not have been purely aesthetic. New research on the cement used to glue gems to Maya teeth has highlighted a few potential hygienic and therapeutic properties..Not only was sealant incredibly adhesive (holding the gem in place for more than a thousand years), its ingredients have the potential to fight tooth decay, and reduce inflammation and infection in the mouth. The rich blend of organic components has archaeologists thinking the cement-like substance was not merely used as a water-repelling glue. Instead, the attachment of small stones to incisors and canines during early adulthood might have been accompanied by some protection against cavities. The drilling to insert these gems into the tooth was done so expertly, it rarely impacted the pulp of nerves and blood vessels at the center. The ancient teeth analyzed in the study came from three Maya archaeological sites in Guatemala, Belize and Honduras, and the individuals the teeth belonged to did not appear to be from elite backgrounds. In the sealants used to attach gems to the teeth, researchers identified 150 organic molecules that are commonly found in plant resins. Depending on where the tooth came from on the Yucatan peninsula, each sealant blend had a slightly different ingredient list, but the main ingredients were largely the same. Most dental cements showed compounds associated with pine tree tar, thought to contain antibacterial-like properties. Two of the eight teeth held remnants of sclareolide, a plant compound with antibacterial and antifungal properties. It's also often used in the perfume industry, as it smells quite nice. Essential oils from plants in the mint family were also common in the sealants, suggesting potential anti-inflammatory effects. The findings are not entirely unexpected. There are many lines of evidence that suggest dental hygiene was taken seriously by the ancient Maya. People in this civilization regularly polished their teeth, and if decay set in, teeth appear to have been extracted. These more therapeutic practices to dentistry, however, have been historically overshadowed by the flashier decorations of the time. The edges of Maya teeth are often filed into pointy shapes, and then inlaid with gems. In the past, this has been pinned to ritual or aesthetic reasons only. Maya dentistry was clearly an art form, but the new findings suggest the extensive use of tooth modifications might have been about more than just beauty. The fact that lots of people were getting the treatment done also suggests it is not necessarily a reflection of the person's social status. "While the blends were both complex and effective in providing long-lasting dental obturations, the mortuary contexts of the individuals sampled indicate these were not elite individuals but that instead, a broad swathe of Maya society benefited from the expertise of the individuals who manufactured these cements," the authors write. : Mayan jeweled dental inlay... © José C. Jiménez López of National Geographic #archaeohistories
11:11 AM · Sep 14, 2024·55K Views
Nahuatl
Aztlan
Huitzilopochtli
Chicomoztoc
Tenochtitlan
Flowery War
Triple Alliance
Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin
Quetzalcoatl
Cortes
chinampa
Tzompantili
Xipe Totec
Coatepantli
Tlaloc
Tezcatlipoca - Black, and others
pochteca
pipiltin
Tlatoani
Mictlan
Tonalpohualli
codices
Coyolxauhqui
Here is the result of my #slowmapchallenge (@DanielPWWood). A fun project some people saw me start at #NACIS. It is a quick breakdown of the history of the #Aztec empire. I made it as I was learning it myself, and #Illustrator. I also have to thank @kbellamy_ for research help!
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You can see the whole map bigger here: https://www.britannica.com/topic/pre-Columbian-civilizations/Andean-civilization
"Nasca Lines - The monkey" by Christian Haugen is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Women in Moche society
New archaeological discoveries - Sipan, San Jose de Moro, Dos Cabezas, Ucupe, and others
Warfare and political organization
Irrigation (more interesting than you might think) and climate
Civic ceremonial centers - Huaca de la Luna, Huaca Cao Viejo
Ceramics - iconography, technology and techniques, and importance in establishing a chronology for the Moche
Religion - the Decapitator God, sacrificial ceremonies
Textiles, metal, shell, wood, bone
Other ones you come up with
Christian will tell us about the Moche sites
Creation myths
Inka empire - formation, structure, and maintenance through architecture, roads, textiles, and cultural practices
Inka view of landscape and architecture in marking the sacred
The importance of stone and stonework - how it was done, and what it meant
Art forms: textiles PLUS KHIPU
Metalwork and ceramics
Sacrifice, not including child sacrifice
Outside Cuzco - Ollantaytambo, Villcabamba, Machu Picchu
Religion and astronomy
The Conquest and its effects
Possible: modern politics and the Andes (Sendero Luminoso)