FCS 348 HISTORY OF INTeRIOR DeSIGN: The Americas

The various civilizations in the Americas thrived between 2000 BC - 1521 AD. Although all of them created cities that included temples and pyramids built to the many gods they worshipped, there were differences between the cultures of these people groups.

Olmecs (2000 - 3000 BC)

The Olmecs were the first major civilization in Mexico. They are responsible for developing the 1st calendar in the Western Hemisphere. The city of La Venta was the first temple-focused city and included a ceremonial center that was comprised of a great pyramid of earth, a ball court, smaller pyramids, burial grounds, and large stone heads. They created artwork by carving jade, rock crystal, and other stones into ax heads, masks and various decorative objects. They also created paintings and pottery. Their lives revolved largely around their religious beliefs and included practices like bloodletting and human sacrifice to achieve closeness with the gods.

Teotihuacan (250 BC - 900 AD)

The ceremonial center of the Teotihuacan city, or "place of the gods", was especially long, extending 2 miles. It included the Temple of the Feathered Sperpent, the Pyramid of the Sun, and the Pyramid of the Moon. This city was laid out in a grid and had separate housing for the ruling elite and the artisans and peasants. This city had no surrounding walls, showing that this people group was powerful and unafraid of outside attacks. They also created decorative and functional pottery, carved with images of birds, butterflies, and abstract signs.

Mayas (300 BC - 1521 AD)

The Mayas were a particularly lon-lasting group that were eventually destroyed by the conquistadors of Spain in 1519. They were located across the highlands and lowlands of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico. One of their ceremonial sites, Chichen Itza, included a four-sided pyramid called Castillo, which was an astonishing 75 feet high. This site also revealed the chacmool, a ritualistic sculpture, and a jaguar throne.

Aztecs (1150 - 1520 AD)

The Aztecs were another group destroyed the the Spanish in their conquests. Their center capitol included the Templo Mayor, Monezuma's throne, the Pyramid of the Sun and Moon, and used floating gardens. The Aztecs were a remarkably large group, with a population that grew to over 3 million. Their society valued the creation of art and architecture and used them to express thoughts on life and beliefs. Their floating gardens, chinampas, were raised gardening beds in a swamp or shallow lake. This abundant system allowed them to have up to seven harvests each year, making it potentially the most productive agricultural system ever developed.

Incas (1200-1572 AD)

The Incas created the largeest empire in the Americas and were known for their architecture and mastery of stone cutting. Machu Picchu was an impressive construction that used no mortar and served as the royal estate for Emperor Pachacuti. The structures there feature trapezoidal openings. it was never discovered by the Spanish and actually remained hidden until its discovery in 1911.