Maya art is considered by many to be the most sophisticated and beautiful of the ancient New World. The distinct style of Maya art that developed during the Preclassic period (1500 B.C. to 250 A.D.) has influences from the Olmec civilization. Other Mesoamerican civilizations, including Teotihuacan and the Toltecs, affected Maya art, which reached its zenith during the civilization's Classic period (c. 200 to 900 AD). The Maya are well known for their use of jade, obsidian and stucco. Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, c. ... Monument 1, an Olmec colossal head at La Venta The Olmec were an ancient Pre-Columbian people living in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, roughly in what are the modern-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. ... The cultural areas of Mesoamerica The term Mesoamérica is used to refer to a geographical region that extends roughly from the Tropic of Cancer in central Mexico down through Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua to northwestern Costa Rica, and which is characterized by the particular cultural homogeneity... Teotihuacan was the largest Pre-Columbian known city in the Americas, and the name Teotihuacan is used to refer to the civilization this city dominated, which at its greatest extent included most of Mesoamerica. ... The Toltecs (or Toltec or Tolteca) were a Pre-Columbian Native American people who dominated much of central Mexico between the 10th and 12th century AD. Their language, Nahuatl, was also spoken by the Aztecs. ... A selection of antique, hand-crafted Chinese jadeite jade buttons Jade An ornamental stone, jade is a name applied to two different silicate minerals. ... Obsidian from Lake County, Oregon Top stone is obsidian, below that is pumice and in lower right hand is rhyolite (light color) Obsidian is a type of naturally occurring glass, produced by volcanoes (igneous origin) when a felsic lava cools rapidly and freezes without sufficient time for crystal growth (see... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Character and style

Many pieces of Maya art are spiritual in nature, designed to appease or curry the favor of the gods. Most Maya art that survives today is in the form of funerary and ritual objects. The Maya did not have metal tools or potter's wheels, however they managed to create highly detailed and beautiful pieces of art. Most Maya art depicts gods, great rulers, legendary heroes, religious scenes and, occasionally, daily life. The focus of Maya art pieces is on human figures (whether gods or mortals). Animals and stylized designs were used as decoration on pottery and other objects. The Maya script, which could be considered an art form itself, is featured on most statues and carvings. Classic potters kick-wheel at Erfurt, Germany The potters wheel, also known as the potters lathe, is a machine used in the shaping of round ceramic wares. ... Maya glyphs in stucco at the Museo de sitio in Palenque, Mexico The Maya script, commonly known as Maya hieroglyphs, was the writing system of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization of Mesoamerica. ...

Art forms

Maya art takes many forms, from tiny pieces of carved obsidian to gigantic pyramids and stelae. The dominance of the Maya religion can be seen through all of these art forms; most objects have a spiritual or religious purpose. Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pyramids Pyramids are among the largest man-made constructions as well as one of the great Wonders of the ancient world. ... Ancient Egyptian funerary stela A stela (or stele) is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerary or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased inscribed, carved in relief or painted onto the slab. ... This article or section is missing needed references or citation of sources. ...

Architecture

Main article: Maya architecture

A Maya temple at Tikal

As unique and spectacular as any Greek or Roman architecture, Maya architecture spans many thousands of years; yet, often the most dramatic and easily recognizable as Maya are the fantastic stepped pyramids from the Terminal Pre-classic period and beyond. These pyramids relied on intricate carved stone in order to create a stair-step design. Each pyramid was dedicated to a deity whose shrine sat at its peak. During this "height" of Maya culture, the centers of their religious, commercial and bureaucratic power grew into incredible cities, including Chichen Itza, Tikal, and Uxmal. Through observation of the numerous consistent elements and stylistic distinctions, remnants of Maya architecture have become an important key to understanding the evolution of their ancient civilization. As unique and spectacular as any Greek or Roman architecture, Maya architecture spans many thousands of years; yet, often the most dramatic and easily recognizable as Maya are the fantastic stepped pyramids from the Terminal Pre-classic period and beyond. ... Image File history File links Temple-1-tikal-feb-2006. ... Image File history File links Temple-1-tikal-feb-2006. ... Tikal is the largest of the ancient ruined cities of the Maya civilization. ... The Romans adopted the external language of classical Greek architecture for their own purposes, which were so different from Greek buildings as to create a new architectural style. ... Mesoamerican chronology The chronology of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica is usually divided into the following eras: Paleo-Indian Period c. ... Temple of the Warriors Chichen Itza is the largest of the Pre-Columbian archaeological sites in Yucat n, Mexico. ... Tikal is the largest of the ancient ruined cities of the Maya civilization. ... Panorama of Uxmal Uxmal (, ) is a large Pre-Columbian ruined city of the Maya civilization in the state of Yucatán, Mexico. ...

Pottery

Maya vase of the codex style, representing a lord of the underworld stripped of his clothes and headgear by the young Maize divinity, assisted by a midget and a hunchback. Terracotta, northern Petén (Guatemala), 7th-10th century.

Many examples of Maya pottery survive today. Along with clay vessels, the Maya created many earthenware figures of humans and animals. Several examples of the Teotihuacan fresco technique of applying paint to a wet clay surface have been found at Maya sites, showing the influence that civilization had on Maya art. Most pieces of pottery were decorated with images of humans, animals , or mythological creatures. Many highly detailed clay figurines were made by the Maya, portraying humans and gods. These were made with molds and by hand. Many of these figures were buried with rulers, which is how they survived to the current day. Unfired green ware pottery on a traditional drying rack at Conner Prairie living history museum. ... Fresco by Dionisius representing Saint Nicholas. ...

Codices

Main article: Maya codices

The Dresden Codex

The Maya wrote many books, called codices (singluar: codex), which described their calendar and religious system. Tragically, when the Spanish conquered the area, Bishop Diego de Landa ordered that they should all be destroyed. De Landa wrote: Maya codices (singular codex) are books written by the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, using the Maya hieroglyphic script. ... Diego de Landa (1524 - 1579) was Bishop of the Yucatán. ...

• We found a large number of books in these characters and, as they contained nothing in which were not to be seen as superstition and lies of the devil, we burned them all, which they (the Maya) regretted to an amazing degree, and which caused them much affliction.

However, not all of them were destroyed, and three codices and a fragment of a fourth survive. These codices detail which gods are responsible for which days of the year, horoscopes and astrological tables and other religious matters. The Codices, which were lavishly illustrated, provide a integral view into Maya society Maya society shared many features with other Mesoamerican civilizations, for there was a high degree of interaction and cultural diffusion throughout the region. ...

Sculpture

A Maya carving depicting a blood sacrifice

The Maya created a great number of scupltures, many of which can be seen at Maya sites and museums. A common form of Maya sculpture was the stele. These were large stone slabs covered with carvings. Many depict the rulers of the cities they were located in, and others show gods. The stelae almost always contained hieroglyphs, which have been critical to determining the significance and history of Maya sites. Other stone carvings include figurines, similar to the earthenware ones described earlier, and stone lintels which show scenes of blood sacrifice. The Maya used a great deal of jade in their art. Many stone carvings had jade inlays, and there were also ritual objects created from jade. It is remarkable that the Maya, who had no metal tools, created such intricate and beautiful objects from jade, a very hard and dense material. An excellent example is the death mask of Lord Pacal, ruler of Palenque. A life-size mask created for his corpse had "skin" made from jade and "eyes" made from mother-of-pearl and obsidian. An Italian Futurist sculpture by Umberto Boccioni at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City (MoMA). ... Pre-fabricated, pre-tensioned concrete lintels spanning garage doors. ... Pacal II, also known as Pacal the Great (the name is sometimes rendered as Pakal) (26 March 603 - 31 August 683), was king of the Maya kingdom of Palenque. ... The Palace, Ruins of Palenque Palenque is a Maya archeological site near the Usumacinta River in the Mexican state of Chiapas, about 130 km south of Ciudad del Carmen (see map). ... A piece of nacre Nacre, also known as mother of pearl, is an organic mixture of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the form of platy crystals of aragonite and conchiolin (a scleroprotein). ...

Paintings

The Bonampak paintings

Due to the humid climate of Central America few Maya paintings have survived to the present day. Some murals have been discovered at Bonampak. The paintings at Bonampak were preserved when a layer of calcium carbonate covered the paintings, preventing moisture from destroying them. The murals, which date from 790, show scenes of nobility, battle, and sacrifice. At San Bartolo, murals were discovered in 2001. These paintings date from 100 A.D., and are the some of the oldest Maya paintings discovered. These paintings, which depict the Corn god myth, made scholars realize that the myth was older than previously believed. Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1248 KB) A picture of one of the paintings at Bonampak Photo © 2004 Jacob Rus File links The following pages link to this file: Maya civilization Bonampak User:Jacobolus Image:Bonampak painting. ... Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1248 KB) A picture of one of the paintings at Bonampak Photo © 2004 Jacob Rus File links The following pages link to this file: Maya civilization Bonampak User:Jacobolus Image:Bonampak painting. ... Map of Central America Central America is a central region of the Americas. ... Bonampak. ... Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound, with chemical formula CaCO3. ... Events A revolt against Empress Irene leads to Constantine VI being declared sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire. ... San Bartolo is a municipality in the Totonicapán department of Guatemala. ... -1...

Maya script

Main article: Maya script

An example of Maya script

The Maya writing system, sometimes called hieroglyphs or glyphs, consists of logograms accompanied by syllabaric glyphs. The glyphs themselves are highly detailed and artistic. The Maya script was in use from 3rd century B.C. until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. The Maya script was used for the Cholan and Yucatec languages. The Maya script was slowly deciphered during the 20th century, and a major breakthrough was made by Yuri Knorosov in the 1950's. Today, about three-quarters of the Maya script is understood. Maya script plays an important role in art by identifying characters and helping scholars to understand more of Maya society. Maya glyphs in stucco at the Museo de sitio in Palenque, Mexico The Maya script, commonly known as Maya hieroglyphs, was the writing system of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization of Mesoamerica. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (896x624, 164 KB) Summary Photo of Maya stucco glyphs diplayed in the museum at Palenque, Mexico. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (896x624, 164 KB) Summary Photo of Maya stucco glyphs diplayed in the museum at Palenque, Mexico. ... A logogram, or logograph, is a single grapheme which represents a word or a morpheme (a meaningful unit of language). ... A syllabary is a set of written symbols that represent (or approximate) syllables, which make up words. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Yucatec Maya is a Maya language spoken in the Yucatan Peninsula, northern Belize and parts of Guatemala. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Yuri Valentinovich Knorosov (Russian: Юрий Валентинович Кнорозов; b. ...

References